Accident Sequence
During a training flight, a helicopter was conducting practice autorotations. The accident occurred on the seventh approach to the runway. An air traffic controller observed the helicopter executing what he described as a very steep approach, with the descent rate not appearing to decrease significantly before the helicopter struck the ground and rolled over.
Instructor's Account
The instructor reported that after the student improperly initiated the autorotation, he informed the student that he had taken control. The student released the controls, and the instructor began a 180-degree turn toward the runway. The instructor's intention was to complete the maneuver by performing a power recovery and a go-around.
As the instructor rolled out of the turn and attempted the power recovery, he realized that the helicopter had accumulated a large descent rate that did not appear to stabilize after leveling out at approximately 15 feet above ground level (AGL). The helicopter was still descending very rapidly when the instructor pulled aft cyclic and attempted to roll the throttle on and raise the collective. However, before he could complete the flare, the helicopter impacted the ground, slid for an estimated 200 to 300 feet, and rolled over.