Accident Sequence
A student pilot was conducting a solo cross-country flight in a helicopter. Before departing from a local airport, the pilot refueled the helicopter with 15 gallons of fuel. After takeoff, the helicopter headed north, then turned east, and later turned south. While cruising at 6,800 feet mean sea level (msl), the pilot reported that the helicopter began losing altitude. In an attempt to recover, the pilot increased collective pitch and reduced forward airspeed.
At 1,000 feet above ground level and an airspeed of 50 to 60 knots, the pilot further increased collective, causing the helicopter to pitch and then turn rapidly to the right. The pilot partially lowered the collective but did not use the pedals to counteract the turn as the helicopter continued to descend. After the helicopter rotated approximately 160 degrees to the right, the turning stopped or slowed. Now heading north, the pilot noticed a radio tower ahead and applied right cyclic to avoid it.
The pilot then attempted to land the helicopter in a parking lot. During the landing attempt, the helicopter contacted power lines, impacted the parking lot surface, and came to rest on its left side.
Post-Accident Examination
An examination of the helicopter revealed no anomalies with the airframe or engine. The calculated density altitude at the time of the accident was approximately 9,600 feet.