Accident Details
The helicopter approached a trailer and landed softly, with the nose canted slightly to the right. The helicopter then lifted until it was light on the skids and drifted left until the left skid was suspended above the ground, off the left side of the trailer. The helicopter settled onto the trailer and the left skid fell toward the ground. The pilot stated that at that point, one skid felt like a pivot point, resembling a dynamic rollover. He reported pulling too much collective, causing the helicopter to get out of control, and he could not recover. The helicopter spun around the aft side of the trailer and collided with the ground on the right side of the trailer.
Pilot Experience
The pilot had accrued about 210 total hours of flight experience, all in helicopters. He had about 100 total hours in make and model, approximately 90 of which were in the accident helicopter.
Aircraft and Landing Area
The flight to the port was described as uneventful, with good helicopter performance and no noted problems. Comparisons between the width of the trailer and the landing gear skids revealed that a landing centered on the trailer left only 9 inches of platform on the outside of each skid.