Incident Details
The flight was intended as a solo training flight in a recently acquired helicopter. During the takeoff attempt, the helicopter rolled to the right upon lift-off. As the pilot tried to correct, the aircraft continued to roll, and the main rotor blades struck the ground. Both main rotor blades fractured, and the tail boom was severed.
Pilot Information
The pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with extensive experience in single-engine airplanes, accumulating about 9,000 flight hours. At the time of the incident, the pilot had a valid student endorsement for helicopters and a total of 30 hours of helicopter flight time, including approximately 10 hours in this specific model. Multiple attempts were made to obtain the NTSB Form 6120.1/2 Pilot/Operator Report, but as of the report date, it had not been received.
Sequence of Events
In a telephone interview, the pilot reported losing control of the helicopter during takeoff. The helicopter rolled to the right immediately after lifting off. Despite corrective inputs, the roll continued until the main rotor blades impacted the ground, resulting in blade fracture and tail boom separation.