This one comes under the category "dumbest things passengers have done when flying"!!
At the time i was a about a 350hr pilot i was flying tourist in central australia. just to fill you in on our helipad and its surrounds. departing to the east we had a strip cut from the edge of the pad by dozer straight through the mulga trees and scrub to give us a nice profile on our departure path to the west the departure was fine except for the camels in the yard with their 20 foot tall necks!!
anyway loaded up and breifed the pax on a scenic flt, on this particular day we had to depart up the strip to the east. into the hover all ok!..start to transition and at about 25-30kts and 20ft or so the front pax next to me gets a bit excited!!
Next minute i know we are heading straight for the trees!..she had braced herself and her right hand went straight onto the collective with hercules like downward force. i then proceeded to yell and carry on! eventually i arrested the decent with elevated heart rate and i kindly explained to her not to do it again!!
quite a scary moment...i now make certain every time to breif about controlls!