Accident Overview
A helicopter rolled over during an attempted takeoff from a landing zone on a ridgeline. The landing zone was composed of soft soil and sloped to the right. The pilot had been tasked with transporting passengers to this remote site.
Sequence of Events
Upon arrival at the ridge, the pilot conducted a reconnaissance of the area and landed on a part of the ridge that sloped to the right. The pilot reported that the wind was strong and gusty but was most directly on the nose of the helicopter. The pilot maintained full flight rotor rpm and completely lowered the collective pitch, after which the helicopter settled with its right skid downslope. The pilot noted that the ground was soft.
One passenger, seated directly behind the pilot, disembarked, leaving two passengers on the right side of the helicopter. When the pilot then applied collective pitch, the helicopter began to roll to the right. The pilot decreased the collective and applied left cyclic, but these actions had no effect. The helicopter rolled over and slid down the steep incline.
Environmental Conditions
A search and rescue pilot who landed at the landing zone a short time after the accident reported that the wind speed was about 25 knots, gusting to 30 knots.