Incident Overview
A Hughes 269A helicopter was on a local flight when the pilot performed a steep descending turn to approximately 150 feet above ground level (AGL) to overfly the passenger's house. Shortly after leveling the helicopter at 150 feet, with slow forward airspeed indicated, the helicopter made a sudden quick turn to the right and pitched nose down, descending into trees.
Environmental Conditions
Weather conditions at the time of the incident were reported as calm wind.
Relevant Performance Information
According to the height-velocity diagram for the Hughes 269A, operation of the helicopter at 150 feet AGL and indicated airspeeds between zero and 52 knots should be avoided. The diagram outlines combinations of altitude and airspeed that may not permit a safe landing in the event of an engine failure.
The incident occurred during a maneuver that placed the helicopter within the avoid region of the height-velocity diagram. The helicopter subsequently impacted trees.