Incident Overview
A Hughes 269B helicopter was destroyed when it went out of control and collided with the ground during an unauthorized takeoff to a hover. The pilot, who had recently purchased the aircraft and was scheduled for his first flight lesson on the day of the accident, was not rated for rotorcraft. According to the certified flight instructor (CFI), the student was instructed to wait and not touch any controls.
Sequence of Events
While waiting for the CFI to arrive, the student pilot started the helicopter engine, ran it up to full rotor rpm, and then began to increase the collective pitch control. The helicopter climbed vertically to a high hover before the pilot lost control and it struck the ground.
Pilot Background
The pilot reported having approximately 500 hours of flight time but did not specify the type of aircraft or provide substantiation for this total. The CFI stated that the student pilot was explicitly told not to operate the aircraft before the lesson.
Contributing Factors
The pilot stated that he had not released the cyclic friction before becoming airborne, which may have limited control authority during the hover.
Investigation Findings
The investigation determined that the accident occurred when the non-rotorcraft-rated student pilot initiated an unauthorized takeoff and lost control of the helicopter. No probable cause was stated in the source material.