Incident Overview
A training flight involving an airline transport pilot (ATP) receiving instruction ended with a helicopter rolling onto its right side after contacting a runway edge light. The accident occurred following a practice hydraulic off run-on landing to runway 35.
Sequence of Events
The flight instructor brought the helicopter to a 10-foot hover with the hydraulics off after the ATP completed a practice landing. The instructor then initiated a hydraulic off approach to the runway and transferred the controls to the ATP to complete the maneuver. The ATP landed the helicopter on the center of the runway. As the helicopter slid forward, it began to drift to the right. The flight instructor took charge of the controls and applied left cyclic while increasing collective to avoid a runway edge light, but was unable to get the helicopter airborne in time to miss it.
The helicopter's right skid slid up against the runway edge light, which was a non-breakaway type standing about 10-12 inches above the ground. As the skid slid along the light, the helicopter rolled over onto its right side.
Pilot and Wind Conditions
The ATP stated that the aircraft did not begin to drift until during the transfer of controls. The tower controller reported that the wind at the time of the accident was from 320 degrees at 18 knots, gusting to 26-32 knots.