What happened
On 15 October 2021, at approximately 13:30 UTC, an Agusta AB206B, registration G-WIZZ, was conducting a private flight over the Lincolnshire coast. While flying at an altitude of roughly 800 ft above Humberston Fitties Beach, the pilot increased the collective lever, which triggered a low main rotor speed warning light.
In response to the warning, the pilot immediately initiated an autorotation. The helicopter descended toward the beach, resulting in a run-on landing at a speed of approximately 15 kt. Although the aircraft remained upright on its skids, the main rotor blades struck the tail boom during the maneuver, causing substantial damage to the structure. There were no injuries to the pilot or the two passengers on board.
The investigation
The investigation was based on the aircraft accident report submitted by the pilot. Investigators examined the sequence of events leading from the activation of the low rotor speed warning to the impact with the beach. The physical state of the aircraft was assessed, specifically noting the damage sustained by the tail boom following the contact with the rotor blades.