Accident Details
During a hovering maneuver into the wind at an altitude of 5 to 10 feet above ground level, the instructor reported feeling a gust of wind that pushed the helicopter to the left and downward. The helicopter subsequently impacted the ground, rolled onto its left side, and slid several feet before coming to a stop.
The instructor, who was occupying the left seat, was making approximately 70 percent of the control inputs at the time of the accident. He stated that he experienced no preimpact failures or malfunctions with the helicopter. A post-accident examination of the helicopter also revealed no preimpact failures or malfunctions.
Weather Conditions
A weather observation taken at the airport about 12 minutes after the accident recorded wind from 280 degrees at 8 knots, visibility of 10 miles, light rain, and thunderstorms in the vicinity of the airport.
No further information regarding the helicopter's type, registration, operator, or location was provided in the source.