What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
A student pilot, on a solo flight, flying his second pattern departure from a hover over the practice area executed his turn and the wind shifted causing the helicopter to spin abruptly. Pedal inputs did not correct the spin, pilot pulled collective to gain some altitude, approximately 20-30 feet AGL, in an attempt to slow the spin but this exaggerated the spin to what the pilot stated was an uncorrectable rate. He increased altitude to approximately 50-60 feet in a further attempt to get the spin under control to no avail. Ultimately, he decided to auto-rotate while attempting to keep the helicopter in a level attitude, causing the aircraft to impact the ground at a rapid rate.
As the FAA filed it
A STUDENT PILOT, ON A SOLO FLIGHT, FLYING HIS SECOND PATTERN DEPARTURE FROM A HOVER OVER THE PRACTICE AREA EXECUTED HIS TURN AND THE WIND SHIFTED CAUSING THE HELICOPTER TO SPIN ABRUPTLY. PEDAL INPUTS DID NOT CORRECT THE SPIN, PILOT PULLED COLLECTIVE TO GAIN SOME ALTITUDE, APPROXIMATELY 20-30 FEET AGL, IN AN ATTEMPT TO SLOW THE SPIN BUT THIS EXAGGERATED THE SPIN TO WHAT THE PILOT STATED WAS AN UNCORRECTABLE RATE. HE INCREASED ALTITUDE TO APPROXIMATELY 50-60 FEET IN A FURTHER ATTEMPT TO GET THE SPIN UNDER CONTROL TO NO AVAIL. ULTIMATELY, HE DECIDED TO AUTO-ROTATE WHILE ATTEMPTING TO KEEP THE HELICOPTER IN A LEVEL ATTITUDE, CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO IMPACT THE GROUND AT A RAPID RATE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.