Incident Details
A helicopter was conducting an instructional flight involving practice autorotations. According to the certified flight instructor, the student initiated an autorotation from about 800 feet above a designated dirt field, at which point the engine lost power. The instructor then took control of the aircraft. During the landing flare, the instructor misjudged the maneuver, resulting in the helicopter bouncing upon touchdown. The helicopter subsequently yawed 90 degrees to the left before coming to rest on its skids.
Damage and Examination
The accident caused structural damage to the helicopter. The tail boom was broken from the fuselage, and the main rotor blades were bent. Following recovery, the engine was run up and the control system was examined. Both the engine and control system operated normally, and no evidence of any malfunction was found.