The helicopter was being used to conduct basic helicopter training at Jandakot. There was an accumulation of raindrops on the helicopter's canopy due to showers that had recently passed through the area. The instructor reported that both he and the student were getting hot from prolonged hovering and that he decided that a short flight was needed to cool the cockpit. The instructor took control of the helicopter from the student and transitioned into forward flight, climbing at about 35 kts to approximately 50 ft before commencing a continuous left turn to return to the hover. The instructor reported that while he was looking out to his left at the area where he intended arriving, he realised that the helicopter was too low to the ground. The helicopter's left skid hit the ground then the helicopter rolled right and the main rotor blades hit the ground. The helicopter then cartwheeled two or three times before skidding and coming to rest on its right side. The fuel tanks ruptured and the helicopter caught fire. Just after both pilots escaped through the front of the shattered canopy, the wreckage exploded. The student sustained minor injuries while the instructor suffered burns to his right arm and head. The pilots were not wearing helmets. The pilots reported that the helicopter was operating normally before it hit the ground. The investigation could not determine if the raindrops that had accumulated on the canopy had affected the instructor's visual perception.