Accident Details
On 2 November 2018 at 1458 UTC, a Robinson R44 Raven II helicopter, registration G-FLYX and serial number 11669, was involved in an accident at Denham Aerodrome in Buckinghamshire. The aircraft, manufactured in 2007, was powered by a single Lycoming IO-540-AE1A5 piston engine. The flight was a training session with a student pilot working toward a Private Pilot’s Licence (Helicopter) and an instructor. There were no passengers on board.
The instructor, aged 66, held a Private Pilot’s Licence and had accumulated 2,643 hours of total flying experience, including 1,400 hours on the R44. His recent flying included 130 hours in the last 90 days and 35 hours in the last 28 days. The student was practicing takeoff and landing techniques.
Event Sequence
The instructor reported that after completing several takeoffs and landings to a good standard, the student repositioned the helicopter to the beginning of grass Runway 12 and landed across the white arrow marking the start of the runway. The instructor noted that this landing was rushed, particularly given the uneven surface. The student immediately began to lift off to attempt the landing again. As the helicopter lifted, it began to rotate to the right. The instructor attempted to counteract this by applying left pedal and lowering the collective. The helicopter then rolled to the left, causing the front of the left skid to contact the ground and break off. The helicopter continued rolling further left until the rotor blades struck the ground. It came to rest on its left side with the engine still running.
Outcome
Both occupants evacuated the aircraft. The student used the right door to exit and then assisted the instructor out after the instructor shut down the engine. Both sustained minor cuts from the broken windscreen. The damage to the helicopter was substantial. The instructor stated that he had previously emphasized to the student the need for a gentle two-stage lift into a hover and that he may have been "lulled into a false sense of security" by the student’s good performance earlier in the lesson.