Accident Overview
According to the pilot, he planned to land on his sister's property. After circling the area several times, he maneuvered for a steep approach. At about 10 feet above the trees, he added collective to slow the descent. Subsequently, the cabin yawed to the right.
Pilot Actions and Aircraft Response
The pilot stated that his initial thought was that he was settling with power. He immediately 'launched a little collective and tried to fly out of settling with power.' An FAA inspector, who interviewed the pilot, stated that he lowered the nose and tried to fly out of the descent. The helicopter started to spin and lose altitude. The pilot stated that in 'trying to regain control, he ran out of collective and throttle.' The helicopter impacted the ground and rolled to the right.
Pilot Experience and Subsequent Learning
The pilot had obtained the helicopter on the day before the accident. He had logged 52 flight hours in this make and model of aircraft. The pilot stated that from conversations with his instructor, he learned that his rotor RPM decreased, which he failed to recover.