Accident Details
After landing on a helipad, the pilot reduced the throttles to flight idle. The pilot intended to demonstrate to the flight crew how the helicopter could taxi and perform a running takeoff. The pilot initiated the takeoff roll and added collective, upon which he realized the engines were not at 100 percent power. Subsequently, the helicopter became airborne, departed the heliport, and came to rest on the roof of a lower-level parking garage.
In an interview, the pilot reported that "he attempted a rolling take-off...with an incorrect power setting (selection switch) which resulted in an emergency landing on the roof of an adjacent automobile parking garage due to insufficient engine power to maintain flight."
Pilot Background
The pilot had accumulated approximately 6,500 total helicopter flight hours, with 3,100 flight hours as a flight instructor in helicopters, and 25 total hours in the same make and model as the accident helicopter.