What happened
The pilot, acting as an instructor, was conducting a flight with his fiancée to provide her with an introduction to helicopter operations. Following the completion of the training portion of the flight, the pilot elected to land the aircraft in a riverbed. The decision to land in this location was made to wait for air traffic to clear before proceeding.
After remaining on the ground for a few minutes, the pilot prepared to initiate a liftoff. As the helicopter began to ascend, the right skid remained in contact with the ground surface. This lack of lift on the right side caused the aircraft to continue rolling toward the right, resulting in a rollover accident.
The investigation
The factual narrative indicates that the accident occurred during the initial phase of takeoff from an unprepared surface. The mechanical condition of the helicopter was not cited as a factor in the roll-over event; rather, the sequence of events points to a loss of directional control or lift asymmetry during the transition from hover to forward flight.
Findings
The primary factor contributing to this accident was the pilot's failure to maintain control of the helicopter during the takeoff phase. Specifically, the right skid remained in contact with the ground while the aircraft attempted to lift off, leading to an uncontrolled roll to the right. This suggests a potential issue with lateral control inputs or uneven terrain interaction at the moment of liftoff.