Incident Overview
A student pilot conducting a supervised solo traffic pattern encountered a left crosswind that caused the helicopter to yaw and spin, leading to a hard landing. The student had previously completed three practice patterns with a Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) on runway 33 to assess wind effects and aptitude for the day.
Flight Details
During the first solo traffic pattern, as the student pilot was coming into a hover, the helicopter was subjected to a left crosswind from 250 degrees at 10 knots. This crosswind induced a left yaw, and the helicopter spun approximately 1 1/4 turns. Subsequently, the helicopter descended and made a hard landing.
Outcome
Neither the student nor the instructor identified any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures. The event was limited to the described sequence of wind-induced yaw and hard landing.