ST
Interesting comment about the throttle and the sense in which it operates. I learned to fly on the Whirlwind 10 which had a manual throttle for use when the computer failed. The RAF was always keen for us to fly without aids
so manual throttle was used a fair bit and I found it non-intuitive and was always closing the throttle as I raised the collective. My only previous usage of a twist grip throttle was on a motorbike which uses the opposite movement to open the throttle so under stress I can easily see why a motorcyclist would unconsciously revert to a movement he was very familiar with.
I can see that you are trying to provide an alternate reason for this tragic accident but it does have all the hallmarks of an UFIT accident. The most compelling witness being the one who only heard the helicopter go over followed by the sound of the crash - no fast jet noise and no wokka blade slap.
RIP Steve
HF