Incident Overview
A flight instructor conducting an autorotation demonstration with a 180-degree turn to Lane 4 at the Bell Helicopter Hurst Heliport experienced a hard landing. The helicopter touched down on the end of Lane 4, bounced, and veered 45 degrees to the right before continuing into the grass.
Sequence of Events
According to the instructor's report, at approximately 100 feet AGL, he determined that a power recovery was necessary. He increased the throttle to full at around 50 to 70 feet, but the engine did not respond. The instructor continued to attempt to restore throttle and engine response throughout the descent.
After the initial touchdown and bounce on Lane 4, the helicopter veered off the lane and landed in the grass. It bounced two more times before coming to a stop upright approximately 70 feet from the end of the lane.
The instructor noted that as the aircraft bounced and ran through the grass, he felt the engine begin to spool and immediately closed the throttle to idle.
Post-Incident Actions
The helicopter's engine was inspected and subsequently returned to service. No injuries were reported as part of this incident.