What happened
On December 7, 2014, a student pilot was performing a solo training flight in a Robinson R2/2, registration F-HAEM, at the Toussus-le-Noble aerodrome. The flight was intended to consist of two enlarged circuit patterns, following a previous flight conducted with an instructor to verify the student's readiness for solo operations.
After receiving final instructions from the instructor, the pilot initiated the takeoff. As the aircraft attempted to reach a hover, it began to oscillate and drift significantly to the left. The pilot lost control of the aircraft, which eventually performed a hard landing in the grass at the edge of the FATO, 90 degrees from the initial takeoff axis. The impact caused damage to the helicopter, specifically resulting in the downward flexing of the tail boom.
The investigation
The investigation examined the pilot's actions, the aircraft's configuration, and the environmental conditions. The weather was reported as favorable, with visibility exceeding 10 km, no significant clouds, and winds from 230° at less than 10 knots. The aircraft's weight and balance were within the manufacturer's limits, although the pilot noted that the center of gravity felt different from the previous flight because the instructor was no longer in the left seat.
Interviews revealed that during the unstable hover, the pilot's gaze shifted from a distant reference point to the cyclic control. The pilot reported a sensation of the controls becoming rigid or unresponsive, which led to physical tension and a loss of effective control. It was also noted that the pilot had experienced a similar sensation of control resistance during a previous solo flight, which had caused significant apprehension.
Findings
- The primary cause of the loss of control was the pilot's inappropriate gaze shift toward the flight controls while attempting to correct aircraft instability.
- The pilot's focus moved from a distant visual reference to the cyclic lever, preventing effective stabilization of the aircraft.
- A lack of physical relaxation led the pilot to tense up, creating a false perception that the controls were physically blocked or resistant.
- The pilot's previous experience with a similar sensation of control resistance during an earlier solo flight likely contributed to the loss of control through increased anxiety.