What happened
A Hughes 269B helicopter was involved in an accident during an unauthorized takeoff attempt. The pilot had recently purchased the aircraft and was in the process of learning to fly it. He was scheduled for his first formal flight lesson on the day of the incident.
The certified flight instructor (CFI) reported that he had explicitly instructed the student pilot to wait for his arrival and not to interact with any aircraft controls. Despite this instruction, the student pilot, who did not hold a rotorcraft rating, started the engine while waiting. He ran the engine up to full revolutions per minute (RPM) and then began to increase the collective pitch control.
The helicopter climbed vertically to a high hover position. At this point, the pilot lost control of the aircraft. The pilot later stated that he had failed to release the cyclic friction lock before becoming airborne. This oversight contributed significantly to the loss of control. The helicopter subsequently collided with the ground.
Regarding his qualifications, the pilot indicated he possessed approximately 500 hours of total flight time. However, he did not specify the type of aircraft in which these hours were accumulated. No substantiation for this claimed flight time could be made during the investigation.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the sequence of events leading to the loss of control and the pilot's qualifications. Key findings included:
- The student pilot acted without authorization from the flight instructor.
- The cyclic friction lock was not released prior to liftoff.
- The pilot's claimed 500 hours of flight time lacked verification.
- The aircraft experienced a vertical climb followed by an uncontrolled descent into terrain.