What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Flight instructor reported that he and his student were performing practice power failures in a hover. According to flight instructor he demonstrated one power failure in a hover and rolled off throttle, applied right pedal and cyclic and used more collective just before touchdown to cushion landing. Subsequently, student rolled throttle back up and lifted helicopter into a hover at approximately 3 feet above
Ground level. From a stable hover, the student counted down from 3 to the initiation of his simulated power
Failure practice, rolled throttle off and applied right pedal and cyclic, holding heading constant. At
Approximately 1-2 feet above ground level, a wind gust from the starboard side of the helicopter caused a left roll and left drift. Instructor reported that he took control and applied right cyclic to level the helicopter’s attitude. The left bank was decreasing when the left skid impacted the ground with the helicopter drifted left. The
Helicopter started yawing right and started a rapid left roll. The instructor applied right cyclic and lowered collective. The left roll rate decreased, but the left bank angle continued to increase until the main rotor blades impacted the ground. The helicopter continued a left roll and right yaw until coming to a rest on its port side on a
Southerly heading.
As the FAA filed it
FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR REPORTED THAT HE AND HIS STUDENT WERE PERFORMING PRACTICE POWER FAILURES IN A HOVER. ACCORDING TO FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR HE DEMONSTRATED ONE POWER FAILURE IN A HOVER AND ROLLED OFF THROTTLE, APPLIED RIGHT PEDAL AND CYCLIC AND USED MORE COLLECTIVE JUST BEFORE TOUCHDOWN TO CUSHION LANDING. SUBSEQUENTLY, STUDENT ROLLED THROTTLE BACK UP AND LIFTED HELICOPTER INTO A HOVER AT APPROXIMATELY 3 FEET ABOVE
GROUND LEVEL. FROM A STABLE HOVER, THE STUDENT COUNTED DOWN FROM 3 TO THE INITIATION OF HIS SIMULATED POWER
FAILURE PRACTICE, ROLLED THROTTLE OFF AND APPLIED RIGHT PEDAL AND CYCLIC, HOLDING HEADING CONSTANT. AT
APPROXIMATELY 1-2 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL, A WIND GUST FROM THE STARBOARD SIDE OF THE HELICOPTER CAUSED A LEFT ROLL AND LEFT DRIFT. INSTRUCTOR REPORTED THAT HE TOOK CONTROL AND APPLIED RIGHT CYCLIC TO LEVEL THE HELICOPTER’S ATTITUDE. THE LEFT BANK WAS DECREASING WHEN THE LEFT SKID IMPACTED THE GROUND WITH THE HELICOPTER DRIFTED LEFT. THE
HELICOPTER STARTED YAWING RIGHT AND STARTED A RAPID LEFT ROLL. THE INSTRUCTOR APPLIED RIGHT CYCLIC AND LOWERED COLLECTIVE. THE LEFT ROLL RATE DECREASED, BUT THE LEFT BANK ANGLE CONTINUED TO INCREASE UNTIL THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES IMPACTED THE GROUND.THE HELICOPTER CONTINUED A LEFT ROLL AND RIGHT YAW UNTIL COMING TO A REST ON ITS PORT SIDE ON A
SOUTHERLY HEADING.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.