The helicopter pilot reported that he allowed his non-rated passenger to “try his hovering skills” at 3′ above ground level.
The pilot told the passenger, “you have the aircraft,” and the pilot removed his hands from the flight controls.
The passenger pushed the cyclic to its forward limit, and the Hughes 269 helicopter hit the ground at the airport in San Antonio, Texas.
The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the main rotor and tail rotor drive systems, and the fuselage.
The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Probable cause: The pilot’s decision to relinquish the helicopter flight controls to a non-rated passenger during a 3′ hover.
NTSB Identification: GAA18CA168
This March 2018 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.
Controls are always turned over to the non rated or training wouldn’t occur. Problem was it wasn’t a guarded turn over, and probably an inability of the CFI to gauge the passenger’s comprehension level. Which i believe to be a growing problem.
Just a quick comment, CFI’s turn over the controls to non rated persons all the time but they do take caution to prevent the situation from getting out of control. I had a few lessons in helicopters with a CFI and things can get wild rather quickly in those first few hours where you are developing the skill set to perform a controlled hover.
My father use to say the problem was the “Nut holding the wheel” but in this case the stick!
Sometimes ya just can’t fix stupid!
Checked the docket and the pilot’s name and still certificated. He claims the guy with him did something to shove the cyclic full forward.
I am pretty sure this is a CFR violation by allowing a non certificated operator to manipulate the controls.
I hope the passenger reimbursed him for the heli since going to the insurance would make his premiums stratospheric or him even uninsurable.
Another case where that pilot should lose his ticket permanently.
OMG!, how could a pilot deliver a heli to a person non rated for it? I hope FAA will take extrem measures against that pilot.