l don't think we need to bring Beckers into this, that's been done to death!
GP, you talk about the power check method you described as a means of measuring power required as opposed to power available, power required to do what? Hover in or out of ground effect?
An update from the NAH CP from yesterdays 'Australian Newspaper', The helicopter in the crash was made in 1997 and had performed without incident since it's purchase.
"Something must have happened to the helicopter itself. She had finished all her surveying for the day, so had no reason to land...lt's not the first Robinson R44 that has crashed. When l first looked at the site l thought she was trying to land there and it was pilot error, but after speaking with the ground crew, she had finished surveying and was flying at a sensible height, so l don't know what happened".
No, it's not the first R44 to crash and no you wouldn't be the first CP to put a novice pilot out on a limb, nor the last!