Eurocopter AS350B2 Ecureuil crash near Lake Farm, Old Race Course, Bideford, Devon, United Kingdom

During a practice hydraulics-off landing the handling pilot inadvertently tried to land downwind and then pitched up and slowed excessively when he realised this. The helicopter started to yaw so the commander, who was the examiner, took control but experienced a brief freezing of the cyclic, collective and pedals. The helicopter hit the ground heavily, nose down, on the front part of the skids, the tailboom failed and the main rotor struck the vertical fin. The cause of the control freeze could not be identified. Eurocopter AS350B2 Ecureuil, G-VGMG 02-17