What happened
On April 9, 2002, a Robinson R22 Beta helicopter, registration EI-JWM, was conducting an instructional flight near Glenbeigh, County Kerry. The flight, involving an instructor and a student pilot, was intended to practice approaches and landings. The crew decided to attempt a landing on a remote section of Rossbe and beach.
During the final stages of the approach, the aircraft experienced an unexpectedly high rate of descent. Although the instructor attempted to intervene by applying full collective, the helicopter struck the ground with significant force. The impact caused the aircraft to bounce, during which the main rotor blades made contact with the tail boom. The collision severed the tail rotor from the boom and caused extensive damage to the rotor blades and the tail assembly. There were no injuries to the crew.
The investigation
The AAIU examined the wreckage and the flight circumstances. The investigation focused on the aerodynamic state of the aircraft during the approach and the mechanical failure of the tail boom. Investigators noted that the aircraft had been properly maintained and that both pilots were appropriately licensed and medically fit.
Technical analysis of the wreckage revealed that the tail boom had been severed in two places and the tail rotor gearbox had been displaced. The investigation also looked into the meteorological conditions, comparing official Met Éireann data with the instructor's observations of the wind at the time of the accident.