Incident Details
According to the pilot, the helicopter was landing on a pad located in a confined area. As the helicopter approached the landing pad, the pilot slowed to transition to a hover. During this maneuver, the main rotor RPM began to drop. The pilot applied full throttle, but the RPM continued to decline. The helicopter was unable to maintain altitude and slowly settled into trees on a hillside, coming to rest approximately 20 feet short of the intended landing pad. Subsequently, the helicopter struck the trees and rolled onto its right side.
Aircraft Damage
The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and main rotor system.
Pilot Report
The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation. After the accident, the pilot noted that there was a significant right quartering tailwind, which required the application of more left pedal than anticipated. The pilot explained that the increased application of anti-torque pedal reduced the available power to maintain main rotor RPM. He concluded that the approach could have been completed safely with a steeper and faster approach to better manage engine power.