Accident Overview
A training helicopter with an instructor pilot and a beginner student was involved in an accident during hover landing practice. The incident occurred in a designated hover practice area while the aircraft was repositioning to allow another helicopter to hover out from the ramp.
Sequence of Events
The instructor reported that he allowed the student to follow him on the controls during the maneuver. As the helicopter was performing a hover landing, a gust of wind caused the tail to pitch up. In response, the student made an unexpected control input that resulted in an overcorrection. This overcorrection allowed the tail rotor to make contact with the ground.
Damage Assessment
The tail rotor struck the ground, causing damage to the tail rotor itself, the skids, and the bubble canopy. No further details about the extent of damage or any other consequences were provided in the source.
Probable Cause
The stated cause of the accident was an unexpected control input by the student that caused an overcorrection, which allowed the tail rotor to strike the ground.