Incident Overview
A flight instructor with 1,114 hours of flight time and a commercial pilot receiving helicopter flight instruction were conducting training maneuvers. After completing a practice maneuver, the helicopter was hovering into the wind at a skid height of approximately 5 feet. The two pilots agreed to terminate the training flight and return to a nearby hangar.
Loss of Control
At that point, the flight instructor released his hold on the cyclic control to the student pilot. The instructor later stated that the student apparently had not maintained complete control of the cyclic. As a result, the helicopter pitched down into a nose-down attitude. The pilot receiving instruction attempted to regain control by pulling back on the cyclic and increasing collective pitch, but these actions were insufficient.
Rollover Sequence
The helicopter's front left skid dug into the grass runway, causing the helicopter to roll over onto its left side. The incident concluded with the helicopter resting on its left side on the runway.
Investigation Findings
The investigation determined the sequence of events as described by the flight instructor and the pilot receiving instruction. No further causal factors were identified beyond the release of cyclic control and the student's lack of complete control.