What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 6/4/2014, at 15:30 local time an R-22 helicopter departed prc on a training flight for a CFI student transferring from another school. This was the first flight at the new school with the student acting in the role of CFI and flying from the left seat. From the accounts of the two pilots, the helicopter departed using the guidance west (flight school) departure over some hangars, and as per school policy climbed to 300 feet AGL and 60 KIAS, and turned north. The pilots reported that there was about a 10 kt tailwind. The density altitude was above 8000 feet and the helicopter was being operated within the ?avoid operations? Portion of the hight ? Velocity diagram.
After a minute or so on the northerly heading the student flying from the right seat reached for the trim knob but pulled the mixture instead. The CFI instructor in the right seat yelled ?no,? Pushed the collective down and then pushed the mixture down. The engine sputtered and the CFI instructor in the right seat raised the collective and rotor RPM dropped. Then the CFI instructor in the right seat lowered the collective and tried to maneuver into the wind. Before a heading into the wind could be obtained the instructor flared and the helicopter struck the ground nose high with the tail boom hitting the ground. The rotor blades drooped and cut the tailboom off. No one was injured.
As the FAA filed it
ON 6/4/2014, AT 15:30 LOCAL TIME AN R-22 HELICOPTER DEPARTED PRC ON A TRAINING FLIGHT FOR A CFI STUDENT TRANSFERRING FROM ANOTHER SCHOOL. THIS WAS THE FIRST FLIGHT AT THE NEW SCHOOL WITH THE STUDENT ACTING IN THE ROLE OF CFI AND FLYING FROM THE LEFT SEAT. FROM THE ACCOUNTS OF THE TWO PILOTS, THE HELICOPTER DEPARTED USING THE GUIDANCE WEST (FLIGHT SCHOOL) DEPARTURE OVER SOME HANGARS, AND AS PER SCHOOL POLICY CLIMBED TO 300 FEET AGL AND 60 KIAS, AND TURNED NORTH. THE PILOTS REPORTED THAT THERE WAS ABOUT A 10 KT TAILWIND. THE DENSITY ALTITUDE WAS ABOVE 8000 FEET AND THE HELICOPTER WAS BEING OPERATED WITHIN THE ?AVOID OPERATIONS? PORTION OF THE HIGHT ? VELOCITY DIAGRAM.
AFTER A MINUTE OR SO ON THE NORTHERLY HEADING THE STUDENT FLYING FROM THE RIGHT SEAT REACHED FOR THE TRIM KNOB BUT PULLED THE MIXTURE INSTEAD. THE CFI INSTRUCTOR IN THE RIGHT SEAT YELLED ?NO,? PUSHED THE COLLECTIVE DOWN AND THEN PUSHED THE MIXTURE DOWN. THE ENGINE SPUTTERED AND THE CFI INSTRUCTOR IN THE RIGHT SEAT RAISED THE COLLECTIVE AND ROTOR RPM DROPPED. THEN THE CFI INSTRUCTOR IN THE RIGHT SEAT LOWERED THE COLLECTIVE AND TRIED TO MANEUVER INTO THE WIND. BEFORE A HEADING INTO THE WIND COULD BE OBTAINED THE INSTRUCTOR FLARED AND THE HELICOPTER STRUCK THE GROUND NOSE HIGH WITH THE TAIL BOOM HITTING THE GROUND. THE ROTOR BLADES DROOPED AND CUT THE TAILBOOM OFF. NO ONE WAS INJURED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.