Incident Overview
A helicopter pilot described an encounter with a strong gust of wind while attempting to land from a hover. According to the pilot, the gust caused the aircraft to begin spinning to the right. Despite applying full left pedal input, the pilot was unable to arrest the rotation. The spinning motion directed the helicopter toward a hangar and a fence. To avoid these obstacles, the pilot applied collective control, which allowed the aircraft to clear them.
Sequence of Events
After clearing the obstacles, the pilot managed to stop the spin by reducing collective. However, as the helicopter began to descend, it struck a tree and then the ground. The impact caused the aircraft to roll over. The pilot's account did not specify the helicopter type, registration, location, date, or any injuries.
Pilot Statement
The pilot stated that the loss of control occurred during a hover, just before setting the aircraft down. The strong gust was unexpected and led to a rapid, uncommanded right spin. Full left pedal was insufficient to stop the rotation. The decision to increase collective was made to ensure the aircraft cleared the hangar and fence. Once the spin was stopped by reducing collective, the subsequent descent resulted in collision with a tree and terrain.
Notes
No further details, such as meteorological conditions or helicopter specifications, were provided in the source. The investigation may determine contributing factors, but none were stated in the pilot's report.