Incident Overview
A flight instructor and a student pilot were practicing hovering autorotation maneuvers in a helicopter. After completing a successful autorotation, the helicopter was on the ground with the collective pitch control fully lowered. The instructor then suggested conducting another maneuver.
Sequence of Events
The instructor intended to remind the student to center the anti-torque pedals, as some right pedal remained applied from the previous autorotation. Before the instructor could speak, the student rapidly increased the engine throttle, causing the helicopter to yaw to the right. To prevent the helicopter from sliding along the ground, the student forcefully increased the collective pitch. This caused the helicopter to lift off the ground instantly.
Loss of Control
The instructor announced, "I have controls," but the student became fixated on the controls and inadvertently applied full left anti-torque pedal while attempting to brace himself. The helicopter yawed rapidly in the air, and the tail struck the ground, resulting in substantial damage.
Recovery
The flight instructor eventually regained control, reduced the throttle to idle, and performed a successful autorotation landing.