What happened
On 30 October 2014, a Robinson R22 Beta, registration G-MOGY, was conducting a training flight near West Chevington, Northumberland. The flight, involving an instructor and a student, had departed from Newcastle Airport to perform a series of autorotations and circuit practice over a patch of open ground.
During the execution of a right-hand circuit, the instructor was demonstrating the transition from a hover to forward flight. As the aircraft reached Effective Translational Lift, the instructor applied forward cyclic to increase airspeed while simultaneously reducing the collective to maintain a constant altitude. During this maneuver, the aircraft descended, causing the right skid to strike the muddy surface of the field. The impact caused the helicopter to pivot forward and roll onto its left side. The aircraft was destroyed, though there were no injuries to the two crew members, who evacuated through the broken windscreens.
The investigation
Investigators examined the flight controls and the environmental conditions at the site. The investigation established that the instructor's control inputs—specifically the reduction of the collective—contributed to a loss of altitude. The pilot noted that the aircraft was yawing to the left at the moment of impact, suggesting the collective had been lowered too far. The investigation also looked into the terrain, noting that the ground was level but muddy and featureless.