What happened
On September 10, 2025, at approximately 11:00 EDT, a Bell 206 helicopter, registration N992MR, was destroyed during an instructional flight near Monroe, Georgia. The flight was being conducted under 14 CFR Part 91 regulations for training purposes.
The flight instructor and student pilot were practicing hovering at an altitude of approximately 10 to 15 feet above ground level in an open field under visual meteorological conditions (VMC) with 10 statute mile visibility. According to the flight instructor, the aircraft suddenly and violently turned to the right. In an attempt to manage the situation, the instructor moved the throttle control to the idle position before the helicopter struck the ground. Upon impact, the helicopter caught fire and was destroyed.
The instructor reported that the student pilot had owned the helicopter for about one month and that they had flown together three or four times previously. On the day of the accident, the crew had flown from the student pilot's residence to Covington Municipal Airport (CVC) for training and refueling. After departing CVC, they proceeded to the field to practice hovering.
Both the flight instructor and the student pilot sustained 2 serious injuries, and there were 0 fatalities.