Accident Summary
During a solo cross-country flight, the pilot flew a helicopter to a destination airport. Recorded radar data showed that he entered the traffic pattern at about 500 feet agl, turned onto the base leg, and descended to roughly 200 feet agl. On the final approach leg, the pilot began hovering between 150 and 250 feet agl for undetermined reasons. He then lost control, and the helicopter descended in a nose-low attitude until it impacted the ground. The helicopter came to rest 100 feet from the initial impact point.
Witness Observations
Two witnesses observed the helicopter on final approach. One witness reported that the helicopter appeared to hover for 3 to 10 seconds, while the other estimated a hover duration of about 5 seconds. Both witnesses reported seeing the helicopter's pitch attitude decrease, followed by a descent while maintaining a 45-degree nose-low attitude.
Pilot Background and Pre-Accident Flight
The pilot held an airplane certificate and had approximately 110 hours of fixed-wing experience. His helicopter experience consisted of 29 hours of dual instruction and 5.7 hours of solo flight, all in a Robinson R22. Earlier that morning, the pilot flew with a flight instructor (CFI) on a round-robin cross-country flight to the same airport. The CFI later stated that the pilot demonstrated competence to make the flight solo and endorsed his logbook authorizing the solo cross-country flight. The pilot subsequently departed on that flight.
Accident Site Examination
The accident site revealed that the helicopter impacted hard onto level ground while heading toward the airport. The landing gear structure fragmented, and the main rotor blades bent aftward. No evidence was found of in-flight contact between the main rotor blades and the fuselage. Examination of the flight control, driveline, and throttle governor systems disclosed no preimpact mechanical malfunction. The engine was test-run and achieved full rated power. No evidence of preexisting mechanical issues was identified.