STUDENT HELI PLT STARTED ENG WITHOUT INSTRUCTOR PRESENT AND HAD THROTTLE IN FULL OPEN POS RESULTING IN SERIOUS ENG OVERSPD. THE HELI OWNER HEARD THE ENG SCREAM FROM HIS OFFICE; RAN OUT AND CLOSED THE THROTTLE.

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MY STUDENT IS COMMERCIAL/INST SEL FIXED WING PLT WITH APPROX 500 HRS AIRPLANE TIME. I HAVE GIVEN HER OVER 25 HRS INSTRUCTION IN A ROBINSON R22 HELI OVER THE PAST 3 MONTHS. ON THE ABOVE STATED TIME AND DATE MY STUDENT DID HER NORMAL PREFLT INSPECTION AND PROCEEDED TO START AND WARM UP THE HELI AS PLANNED FOR OUR DUAL FLT (SHE HAS NOT YET SOLOED). WHEN SHE STARTED THE ENG; THE THROTTLE WAS IN THE FULL OPEN POS INSTEAD OF THE CORRECT FULLY CLOSED POS AS THE CHKLIST CLRLY STATES. SHE THEN PROCEEDED TO ENGAGE THE ELEC CLUTCH WHICH SUBSEQUENTLY LEAD TO AN ENG AND ROTOR OVERSPD WHILE REMAINING ON THE GND. THE OWNER OF THE HELI AND I WERE IN THE OFFICE WHICH IS APPROX 100 FT AWAY FROM THE PAD WHERE THE HELI WAS STARTED. WHEN WE HEARD THE SCREAM OF THE ENG/ROTOR; THE OWNER RAN OUT TO THE SHIP AND CLOSED THE THROTTLE. THE STUDENT DID NOT REALIZE SHE HAD TURNED THE THROTTLE THE WRONG WAY EVEN THOUGH IT IS PLACARDED ON THE COLLECTIVE NEXT TO THE THROTTLE. I HAD SUPERVISED THIS STUDENT ON HER FIRST 15 STARTS AND SHE HAD SUCCESSFULLY PERFORMED AT LEAST 10-15 ON HER OWN. THE ROTOR/ENG WAS OVERSPED FOR 20-30 SECONDS WHICH REQUIRES A MAJOR INSPECTION WHICH IS CURRENTLY BEING PERFORMED. I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT A CFI IS REQUIRED DURING START UP AS LONG AS THE ACFT IS NOT INFLT. I WOULD APPRECIATE ANY INFO YOU HAVE ON THIS SUBJECT.