Helicopter accident at Speyer airfield

Incident Overview and Flight Details On 8 December 2020, a Hélicoptères Guimbal Cabri G2 helicopter was involved in an accident at the Verkehrslandeplatz Speyer (EDRY) in Germany. The aircraft, a two-seat helicopter equipped with a Lycoming O-360-J2A piston engine, was operating a solo navigation flight as part of a pilot's training for a helicopter private pilot license. The flight originated from Egelsbach, with planned stops in Aschaffenburg and Speyer before returning to Egelsbach. ## Sequence of Events After landing in Speyer, the pilot prepared to depart back to Egelsbach. During the initial climb, the helicopter experienced a yawing motion around the vertical axis, leading to a loss of control. The pilot reported a flashing main rotor low-speed warning while still over the airfield. Due to the lack of a suitable landing area ahead, the pilot initiated a left turn and an autorotation, notifying air traffic control of the return. The helicopter was brought down in a slight nose-up attitude, but the right skid cut into the ground, causing the aircraft to roll onto its side. ## Aircraft and Pilot Information The pilot, a 63-year-old male, held an Airline Transport Pilot License (ATPL(A)) for airplanes with approximately 23,400 hours of flight experience. He had been training for a helicopter private pilot license (PPL(H)) since 7 February 2020, with about 46 hours of flight time and 145 landings on helicopters and the specific model. The helicopter, manufactured in 2013 with serial number 1048, had a total operating time of 3,047.2 hours and 6,935 landings. The aircraft was registered in Germany and was certified under EASA CS-27 regulations. ## Investigation Findings The accident site was located in the southeastern corner of the airfield, approximately 40 meters southeast of the turnoff from taxiway H to taxiway S and 100 meters east of the beginning of runway 34. The helicopter came to rest on its right fuselage side, facing north. The right skid had cut into the grass, and the landing gear was torn off the aircraft, except for one bracket. The tail skid was bent to the left, and the fin below the Fenestron was torn. The right horizontal stabilizer was bent downward, and the tail boom rested on it. The Fenestron shroud showed partial scratch marks from the Fenestron blades, but the seven Fenestron blades were undamaged. The open right cabin door was destroyed under the helicopter. The three main rotor blades were damaged but remained attached to the rotor head. The drive train between the engine, drive belt, main gearbox, tail rotor shaft, and Fenestron gearbox was continuously connected and could be turned by hand on site. The freewheel opened and engaged without issue. ## Meteorological Conditions According to the METAR from 13:50 at the nearby Mannheim airfield (EDFM), the wind was from 050° at 4 knots, variable between 020° and 090°. Visibility was more than 10 kilometers, with no significant cloud cover below 5,000 feet (CAVOK). The temperature was 6°C, and the dew point was 0°C. The air pressure (QNH) was 1,002 hPa. The air traffic controller in Speyer reported a wind from approximately 140° at 5 to 6 knots.