What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
During a full down practice autorotation, the helicopter touched down with approximately 30 knots of ground speed. After ground contact, the helicopter started drifting right. The student pilot who was on-the-controls tried to correct the right drift by applying left pedal and left lateral cyclic. After a short period of time, the instructor got on the controls to assist in controlling the helicopter. The control inputs had no effect on controlling the slide of the helicopter. After sliding approximately 210 feet while drifting to the right, the helicopter contacted the sod on the right edge of the runway which caused it to spin 170 degrees with a right yaw and subsequently rolled onto its left side. During the maneuver, neither the flight instructor nor the student pilot noted any mechanical deficiencies with the helicopter.
As the FAA filed it
DURING A FULL DOWN PRACTICE AUTOROTATION, THE HELICOPTER TOUCHED DOWN WITH APPROXIMATELY 30 KNOTS OF GROUND SPEED. AFTER GROUND CONTACT, THE HELICOPTER STARTED DRIFTING RIGHT. THE STUDENT PILOT WHO WAS ON-THE-CONTROLS TRIED TO CORRECT THE RIGHT DRIFT BY APPLYING LEFT PEDAL AND LEFT LATERAL CYCLIC. AFTER A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME, THE INSTRUCTOR GOT ON THE CONTROLS TO ASSIST IN CONTROLLING THE HELICOPTER. THE CONTROL INPUTS HAD NO EFFECT ON CONTROLLING THE SLIDE OF THE HELICOPTER. AFTER SLIDING APPROXIMATELY 210 FEET WHILE DRIFTING TO THE RIGHT, THE HELICOPTER CONTACTED THE SOD ON THE RIGHT EDGE OF THE RUNWAY WHICH CAUSED IT TO SPIN 170 DEGREES WITH A RIGHT YAW AND SUBSEQUENTLY ROLLED ONTO ITS LEFT SIDE. DURING THE MANEUVER, NEITHER THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR NOR THE STUDENT PILOT NOTED ANY MECHANICAL DEFICIENCIES WITH THE HELICOPTER.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.