Incident Overview
A helicopter training flight ended with substantial damage after a failed go-around during an autorotation exercise. The accident occurred when a student pilot, under the supervision of a flight instructor, was practicing autorotations following a simulated engine failure.
Pre-Accident Maneuvers
The lesson began with a normal takeoff. At 500 feet AGL, the flight instructor initiated a throttle roll-off to simulate a power loss. The student pilot then entered an autorotation, maintaining the descent profile. Throughout the maneuver, the instructor reported riding the controls, indicating simultaneous control inputs.
Warning and Response
As the helicopter descended through approximately 250 feet AGL, the low rotor horn activated and the low rotor light illuminated. The flight instructor noted that the student reduced collective pitch, but the correction was insufficient and late. At that point, the instructor took over and attempted a go-around. The instructor released back pressure on the cyclic, lowered the collective, and rolled the throttle on. However, the engine did not respond; the engine needle remained at the idle position.
Impact and Damage
Continuing its descent, the helicopter reached about 75 feet AGL, at which point the instructor lowered the collective and executed a hard flare to reduce the rate of descent. The helicopter impacted the ground, and the main rotor blades made contact with the tail boom, severing it from the fuselage.
Engine Examination
After the accident, the engine was subjected to a test run. It operated within the manufacturer's specifications, indicating no pre-existing mechanical failure.