What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
While demonstrating an autorotation glide to a student, the pilot/cfi allowed the rate of descent to become excessive which caused the aircraft to descend lower than planned. Upon noticing the rate of descent/low altitude the pilot determined there was insufficient altitude to recover and decided to land, before touching down on an abandoned street the right skid of the helicopter contacted a dirt berm causing the aircraft to pitch 90 degrees nose down and contact the ground, the aircraft then rolled over and was destroyed, both occupants sustained minor injuries.
As the FAA filed it
WHILE DEMONSTRATING AN AUTOROTATION GLIDE TO A STUDENT, THE PILOT/CFI ALLOWED THE RATE OF DESCENT TO BECOME EXCESSIVE WHICH CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO DESCEND LOWER THAN PLANNED. UPON NOTICING THE RATE OF DESCENT/LOW ALTITUDE THE PILOT DETERMINED THERE WAS INSUFFICIENT ALTITUDE TO RECOVER AND DECIDED TO LAND, BEFORE TOUCHING DOWN ON AN ABANDONED STREET THE RIGHT SKID OF THE HELICOPTER CONTACTED A DIRT BERM CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO PITCH 90 DEGREES NOSE DOWN AND CONTACT THE GROUND, THE AIRCRAFT THEN ROLLED OVER AND WAS DESTROYED, BOTH OCCUPANTS SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N796SH · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.