What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
This was student pilot’s first solo flight. The flight was from 3DW and began at approximately 14:20 CST with one circuit in the traffic pattern with the CFI. The student pilot then set down near the FBO building and let the CFI out of the helicopter. Student pilot then lifted off solo, did some hover and hover taxi practice for appoximately 10 minutes over the grass area north of runway 11/29 before doing three additional circuits in a right traffic pattern for runway 11. Student then returned to the grass area and did more hover and hover taxi practice until the windshield fogged up due to the low airflow through the cabin. Student set the helicopter down on the grass area in order to turn on the windshield defog blower fan, but failed to engage the collective friction or roll down the throttle. The student pilot had never used the blower switch himself and it took a second or two to locate it. (The blower fan switch is located near the floor between the pilot’s legs.) When the student pilot looked back up after turning on the switch, the helicopter had rolled approximately 25 degrees to the right and the main rotor blades immediately impacted the ground. The helicopter wreckage ended up lying on its left side. The mixture was then pulled out (off) and mag switch turned off by the student pilot before exiting the wreckage. The fuel valve could not be reached because of the helicopter laying on its left side, so it remained in the “on” position. There was no fire or damage to other property.
As the FAA filed it
THIS WAS STUDENT PILOT’S FIRST SOLO FLIGHT. THE FLIGHT WAS FROM 3DW AND BEGAN AT APPROXIMATELY 14:20 CST WITH ONE CIRCUIT IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN WITH THE CFI. THE STUDENT PILOT THEN SET DOWN NEAR THE FBO BUILDING AND LET THE CFI OUT OF THE HELICOPTER. STUDENT PILOT THEN LIFTED OFF SOLO, DID SOME HOVER AND HOVER TAXI PRACTICE FOR APPOXIMATELY 10 MINUTES OVER THE GRASS AREA NORTH OF RUNWAY 11/29 BEFORE DOING THREE ADDITIONAL CIRCUITS IN A RIGHT TRAFFIC PATTERN FOR RUNWAY 11. STUDENT THEN RETURNED TO THE GRASS AREA AND DID MORE HOVER AND HOVER TAXI PRACTICE UNTIL THE WINDSHIELD FOGGED UP DUE TO THE LOW AIRFLOW THROUGH THE CABIN. STUDENT SET THE HELICOPTER DOWN ON THE GRASS AREA IN ORDER TO TURN ON THE WINDSHIELD DEFOG BLOWER FAN, BUT FAILED TO ENGAGE THE COLLECTIVE FRICTION OR ROLL DOWN THE THROTTLE. THE STUDENT PILOT HAD NEVER USED THE BLOWER SWITCH HIMSELF AND IT TOOK A SECOND OR TWO TO LOCATE IT. (THE BLOWER FAN SWITCH IS LOCATED NEAR THE FLOOR BETWEEN THE PILOT’S LEGS.) WHEN THE STUDENT PILOT LOOKED BACK UP AFTER TURNING ON THE SWITCH, THE HELICOPTER HAD ROLLED APPROXIMATELY 25 DEGREES TO THE RIGHT AND THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES IMMEDIATELY IMPACTED THE GROUND. THE HELICOPTER WRECKAGE ENDED UP LYING ON ITS LEFT SIDE. THE MIXTURE WAS THEN PULLED OUT (OFF) AND MAG SWITCH TURNED OFF BY THE STUDENT PILOT BEFORE EXITING THE WRECKAGE. THE FUEL VALVE COULD NOT BE REACHED BECAUSE OF THE HELICOPTER LAYING ON ITS LEFT SIDE, SO IT REMAINED IN THE “ON” POSITION. THERE WAS NO FIRE OR DAMAGE TO OTHER PROPERTY.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.