What happened
On 15 April 2001, a Bolkow BO-207, registration D-EHYX, was involved in a ground incident at Swansea Airport, Wales. The pilot had arrived at the airfield as a passenger in another aircraft to collect the helicopter and fly it back to Swansea. At the time of the incident, the weather conditions were characterized by CAVOK visibility and winds from 350° at 20 to 25 knots.
After starting the engine into the wind and completing necessary pre-flight checks, the pilot began taxiing the aircraft. The helicopter features a tail wheel landing gear configuration. As the pilot performed a 180° turn and reached a downwind heading, the tail of the aircraft lifted. This movement caused the propeller to strike the ground. The engine remained running while the nose of the aircraft rested on the surface until the pilot manually shut down the engine and isolated both the fuel and electrical systems.
An Air Traffic Control Officer witnessed the event and immediately summoned the airport Rescue and Fire Fighting Service. The pilot escaped the aircraft without injury. To prevent the tail from dropping heavily while the aircraft was stabilized, individuals stood on the propeller to weight the nose down.
The investigation
The investigation was based on the aircraft accident report submitted by the pilot. Investigators examined the environmental conditions and the aircraft's configuration during the taxi maneuver. The assessment focused on the interaction between the wind, the aircraft's surface area, and the pilot's control inputs during the turn.
Findings
- The aircraft sustained a bent propeller, engine shock loading, and minor damage to the landing gear.
- The pilot was operating with limited experience on this specific type, having only 5 hours of flight time on the Bolkow BO-207.
- The primary cause of the incident was the wind getting under the tailplane, which pitched the aircraft forward.
- Contributing factors included gusting winds, a slight downslope at the taxiway location, and the pilot maintaining the control column in a neutral position during the turn.