Incident Overview
A flight instructor reported that a helicopter sustained structural damage during a training session focused on autorotation landings. The instructor had been demonstrating the maneuver to a student pilot, including three autorotation landings from a hover. The student then attempted the maneuver for the first time.
Sequence of Events
According to the instructor, during the student's first attempt, the student lowered the collective control instead of raising it. The instructor took control and applied up collective to reduce the descent rate. The helicopter then began to yaw to the left. Subsequently, the helicopter landed on its left rear skid and bounced, initiating a roll to the left. The instructor applied full right cyclic control to level the helicopter before it touched back down on both skids.
Damage and Mechanical Status
The bounced landing resulted in structural damage to the lower frame of the helicopter. The flight instructor reported no mechanical anomalies with the helicopter or its flight control systems.
Instructor's Observations
The flight instructor stated that he had anticipated the possibility of the student applying down collective, but his reaction time was insufficient to counter the student's control inputs.