What happened
During a Commercial Rotorcraft-Helicopter Practical Test, a Designated Pilot Examiner (DPE) and a student were performing maneuvers over runway 13. The DPE instructed the student to execute a simulated engine failure from 450 feet above ground level (agl). To initiate the maneuver, the DPE reduced the throttle to idle.
Following the reduction in throttle, the student did not respond to the change, and the rotor RPM began to decrease. Upon assessing the deteriorating situation, the DPE took control of the aircraft. The pilot attempted to recover by increasing the throttle, applying slight forward cyclic, and moving the collective to the full down position.
Despite these recovery efforts, the helicopter could not be stabilized. A witness observed the aircraft at an altitude of 50 to 75 feet before its forward airspeed ceased and it entered a steep, spiral descent. The helicopter impacted the ground in a slight nose-low attitude, bounced, and eventually came to rest on its left side. There were no injuries reported.