Dangerous mis-understanding
LTE (Education) - LTRED
Presuming there was no mechanical fault (loose article in control run?)
This appears to be a classic case of 'the education problem'.
I hope no-one was injured.
The Airspeed becomes negative (due to the classic accidentally downwind app)
The weathercocking is unexpected
a small and timid input is ineffective
the pilot becomes confused
despite the input he has made the helicopter appears to be responding in the wrong direction.
The pilot makes drastic and confused control inputs and sometimes crashes.
- most pilots suffer this educational stage at some point and learn to be authoritative.
There are many examples of this (class) of accident/incident (LTEd):
Australian film pilot (looses 2000ft whilst confused)
Irish wedding squirrel
EC120 Redhill (more or less)
Gazelle in Yorkshire (fatal)
The R44 does not run out of pedal at zero A/S - you just need to use the pedals.
At Airspeed the situation is improved - with the worst pilot screw up the most you'd have to turn is 180 deg.....
- the action suggested by RF might be a little drastic for a serviceable helicopter, where the pedals just need 'subtle manipulation' to arrest yaw.