Incident Overview
A helicopter experienced a rollover while attempting to take off from an asphalt tarmac. The pilot initiated the takeoff by raising the helicopter into a low hover with the skids barely contacting the surface. As he increased the collective pitch, the helicopter's nose became airborne first. To level the helicopter, the pilot applied forward cyclic input. At that moment, a strong gust of wind was encountered.
Rollover Sequence
After the gust, the helicopter stabilized temporarily. The pilot continued raising the collective, and the helicopter ascended to approximately three feet above ground level. The wind then pushed the helicopter backward. The nose pitched up, causing the left skid to contact the ground. The helicopter rolled backward to the left, rotating around the left skid as it impacted the tarmac.
Pilot Statement
The pilot stated that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter. The entire sequence was attributed to the wind conditions encountered during the attempted departure.