History of the Flight
The student pilot was conducting a solo land-away navigation exercise as part of his PPL(H) course. He had flown the same route three days earlier with an instructor, who considered him an above-average student. The weather was good with a variable light wind. The helicopter was parked on a tarmac helipad, approximately four inches above the surrounding grass and near a hangar.
The Accident
After completing pre-flight checks, the student raised the collective lever to take off. As the helicopter started to lift, it began to yaw rapidly to the left (anticlockwise), in the same direction as the main rotor blades. The aircraft completed one and a half revolutions without leaving the ground. During these revolutions, it drifted toward the edge of the helipad. The tail of the helicopter went off the edge, causing the aircraft to pitch up and the tail rotor to strike the ground.
Damage and Injuries
The tail rotor blades broke into pieces, and the tail rotor driveshaft sheared. A part of one tail rotor blade penetrated the aircraft's skin at the back of the cockpit and entered the pilot's seat, causing an injury that required four stitches. The pilot shut down the aircraft and vacated normally.
Examination
A thorough examination of the helicopter found no pre-existing defects that would have caused the accident.