Accident Summary
During a low-level photo flight, a helicopter impacted level terrain and rolled onto its left side while maneuvering. The pilot was flying southbound along a racecourse when he made a hard 180-degree turn and lost control. As the helicopter began a spin to the right, the pilot noted a loss of rotor rpm and altitude. He asked the certified flight instructor (CFI)/safety pilot to take the flight controls. When the CFI took control, he realized the rpm were decaying and the helicopter was too low to recover. He attempted to cushion the impact using the collective.
Flight Details
The helicopter was being operated in a high density altitude environment, computed to be 7,350 feet mean sea level. During the accident flight, the helicopter was approximately 131 pounds over the maximum gross weight for an Out of Ground Effect (OGE) hover under the existing atmospheric conditions.
Pilot Information
The pilot had received his rotorcraft-helicopter rating just 7 days prior to the accident. At the time of the accident, he had approximately 77 hours of total rotorcraft flight time.
Post-Accident Investigation
Both pilots reported no preimpact mechanical anomalies with the airframe or engine. No evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunction was found during the post-accident investigation that would have precluded normal operation. The helicopter manufacturer indicated that photo flights are a high-risk phase of flight and issued Safety Notice SN-34, which recommends at least 500 hours and extensive training in both low rpm and settling-with-power recovery techniques prior to flying photo shoot type flights.