What happened
On June 6, 2012, an EC 225 LP helicopter, registration PR-OMV, was performing a transfer flight from Cabo Frio to Macaé Aerodrome. During the landing and subsequent taxiing phase, the pilot flying encountered difficulties clearing the runway to the right while on taxiway "D" near threshold 24.
In an attempt to realign the aircraft, the pilot applied power and lifted the helicopter slightly off the ground. During this maneuver, the aircraft initially rotated to the right. As the pilot monitoring attempted to counteract this movement by applying left pedal, the aircraft entered an uncontrolled, rapid rotation to the left. This high-angular velocity turn caused the aircraft to tilt to the right, leading the main rotor blades to strike the pavement. The impact caused substantial damage to the main rotor, tail rotor, tail cone, fuselage, transmission, and landing gear. Debris from the crash struck another aircraft, registration PR-JAF, which was parked nearby. One crewmember sustained minor injuries, while the other remained unharmed.
The investigation
CENIPA's investigation established that the crew had recently transitioned to this aircraft type, having completed manufacturer-specified simulator training but possessing only 30 hours of flight time in the model, much of which was in a simulator. The investigation found that the nose wheel locking system had not been unlocked following the landing, a checklist item that was overlooked.
Furthermore, the investigators noted that the physical layout of the cockpit made it difficult to distinguish the parking brake and nose gear lock levers during nighttime operations due to their similar shapes and close proximity. The investigation also highlighted a critical lack of coordination: the pilot flying applied power to hover/realign without waiting for a response from the pilot monitoring, while the pilot monitoring applied opposing pedal inputs simultaneously with the pilot flying's actions.