Regarding the Astar accident in the Grand Canyon...
First we have to define some terms. The NTSB report uses the terms "flight idle" and "ground idle." This can be confusing to some, especially pilots with primarily piston experience. But also because (in the 206 community at least) the terms are sometimes used interchangeably.
However in this context, "flight idle" refers to throttle fully open and collective all the way down. Ground idle means throttle reduced to an "idle" position, with the N2 below the governed range. A helicopter at "ground idle" cannot fly. A helicopter at "flight idle" is ready to fly away if the collective rises. Which it tragically did in this case.
The NTSB report is chilling. The kid (he was 26 years old - I've got socks older than that) was apparently trying to get back in the ship as it was falling over. Very sad. But what the report also reveals to us is very disturbing. It appears that Papillon's policy was to always leave their throttles fully open...always.
Other Papillon pilots admitted to doing the (ahem) "fluid level check" which we all understand is code for "I gotta get out and take a leak." But the older, wiser pilots said they always performed said procedure at GROUND idle, which just makes sense.
The young pilot in question, perhaps not as experienced in the ways of the world as we would wish, went strictly by the Papillon Ops Manual and unbelievably did his "fluid level checks" at full throttle. Why ANYBODY would get out of a helicopter at full throttle is just completely baffling. Why would you *do* that? Oh, right, because the Ops Manual says to. (I can't believe they do all of their loading and unloading at 100%, but I guess they do.)
Again, I'm not familiar with the AS-350. And I do not know why the Astar's control system is apparently designed so that the collective can creep up - or in any direction, actually. Forget about locking it completely down - if there is not a device that adds enough "general" friction to keep it from moving unintentionally (like, forgive me, the 206) if you take your hand off it, then IN MY OPINION the design is defective. And that design defect resulted in the death of that unfortunate Papillon pilot.
Getting out of a running helicopter that's at its full operating rpm is just dumb. I can't believe young pilots would not be aware of the hazards of doing such a thing. Sadly, the poor Papillon pilot paid for that mistake with his life.