Incident Details
A helicopter sustained damage when it rolled over during a forced landing onto a soft plowed field. The pilot reported that he had been performing a check on another company pilot and, to simulate an engine failure, abruptly reduced power. This maneuver resulted in a total loss of power. The aircraft was at an altitude of 1,800 feet mean sea level at the time.
The pilot executed an autorotation landing onto the soft plowed field. During the flare, initiated at 50 feet above ground level, the aircraft skidded approximately 20 feet and spun around 180 degrees before coming to rest on its right side.
Aircraft Information
The operator's manual for the specific aircraft did not include a caution regarding abrupt power changes. However, a later version of the operator's manual for similar helicopters states that caution should be used with abrupt power changes due to the sensitivity of fuel-injected engines. Both the pilot and the operator confirmed during an interview that the throttle had been abruptly reduced.
Damage
The helicopter was damaged in the roll-over, though specific details of the damage extent were not provided.