Hard Landing During Hover Training Damages Helicopter Tail Boom

Incident Overview

A flight instructor reported that, during a landing from a hover, both the instructor and the student pilot were on the controls, with the student manipulating them. When the helicopter was about 8 inches above the ground, the student lowered the collective rapidly. This resulted in a hard landing, after which the student immediately raised the collective in an attempt to re-establish a hover. The instructor then took control of the flight controls and landed the helicopter without further incident.

Damage and Examination

A post-accident examination revealed that the helicopter sustained substantial damage to the tail boom. The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.