What happened
The accident occurred during the initial phase of flight, specifically while the aircraft was taking off over a body of water. According to the pilot's account, rotor revolutions per minute (RPM) began to decrease shortly after liftoff. In an effort to restore rotational speed, the pilot lowered the collective pitch and pitched the nose downward. Although these inputs appeared to initiate a recovery sequence, the helicopter lacked sufficient altitude to complete the maneuver. The aircraft subsequently impacted the water surface.
The investigation
Post-acc examination revealed no evidence of mechanical failure or malfunction within the helicopter or its systems prior to the incident. The pilot confirmed that the aircraft was operating normally before the onset of the rotor RPM issue.
Findings
The primary factor contributing to the accident was the loss of altitude during a critical phase of flight. The pilot's attempt to correct low rotor RPM by lowering collective and pitching down, while mechanically sound in theory, could not be executed successfully due to the proximity to the water surface.
insufficient altitude prevented the successful recovery from the low rotor RPM condition.