Incident Details
According to the pilot, he was conducting a hovering maneuver. He reported that conditions were normal until the helicopter reached a hover at about 5 feet above the surface while moving at a "fast walking pace." The helicopter then descended to approximately 2 feet above the surface. When the pilot increased power to arrest the descent, the helicopter skipped off the surface.
During the event, the low-rotor warning light illuminated and the aural horn sounded. The helicopter turned to the right and impacted the right skid, then bounced back and contacted the left skid before rolling over onto its left side.
Pilot Actions After Rollover
The pilot stated that he smelled fuel after the rollover, so his passenger turned off the fuel switch while he turned off all electrical switches. He also said that he could not unbuckle his seatbelt because it was too close to the collective. He eventually ripped the collective upward to release the seatbelt buckle and exit the helicopter.