As students we were taught to hover at the 5ft level — 3 is way too close to the ground for an unskilled pilot. I tend to do 2ft hovers in calm weather and familiar equipment for the simple reason that at 6000ft density altitude, a hover auto works better from there. (R44/R22, Tucson AZ 85F 2640MSL).

Secondly the instructor’s instinct to climb was good but he should have turned it into the wind, thereby making the rotor system efficient (and with 13-25 he’d be at ETL already).

Finally once he realized his control was slipping he should have started forward motion… any forward motion. A helicopter’s control surfaces work much better with high speed air.

In the 206, the pilot misjudged the required altitude, and so did the last minute tight 360 that he did not complete. Had he been maintaining reasonable altitude over terrain, or extended the 360 out, likely he would have been fine.

There’s a tendency which they call “get-there-itis” but also applies to “Hey I’m right here at the ridgline… oh damn. Well I can fix this without going out of my way…” and this is what happens. The “right” ego-free reaction is “I’m not high enough, let me get away from terrain and climb.”

I’d love to hear other people’s opinions (or tell me if my suggestions are wrong

Ehud