Incident Overview
A flight instructor and a student pilot were conducting an instructional cross-country flight. They stopped for fuel at an airport with an elevation of 250 feet and were returning to their home base. Upon departure, the wind was reported from 300 degrees at 16 knots, gusting to 20 knots.
Pinnacle Landing Attempt
The flight crew decided to perform a pinnacle landing to a 4,060-foot mountain. As the student pilot approached the peak for landing, a downdraft was encountered. The main rotor disk low rpm indicators activated, prompting the flight instructor to take control of the helicopter in an attempt to salvage the situation.
Impact and Egress
During the maneuver, the helicopter's landing skid impacted the terrain, causing the aircraft to roll twice down the mountain. Both the flight instructor and the student pilot exited the helicopter with minor injuries.