Pilot and Aircraft Background
The pilot, aged 65, held a Private Pilot's Licence with 220 hours of flying experience, all on the accident helicopter type. His licence had lapsed and he had not flown for approximately six years. He purchased the Enstrom F-28A-UK (registration G-BBPN) in May 2006. The aircraft sustained damage during road transit and was subsequently repaired. In June 2007, the pilot began training for his licence renewal. On the first training flight, the instructor terminated the flight due to concerns about poor helicopter performance and restricted collective lever movement. A maintenance check found no defects but revealed that the helicopter was fitted with long-range fuel tanks. The instructor concluded that earlier performance issues were due to operating above maximum weight. Training continued, and on the morning of the accident, the pilot completed his skill test.
Accident Sequence
After passing the skill test, the pilot decided to fly to his home landing site. The instructor offered to accompany him, but the pilot declined, stating he was familiar with the site. The landing site was approached from the south-west over an open field, but the landing area was confined. At a late stage, the pilot felt uncomfortable and initiated a go-around. The go-around was performed straight ahead, crossing a main road and then Ormonde Fields Golf Course, which was situated on rising ground amidst trees. The helicopter cleared the streetlamps on the road, but the pilot reported a loss of power, and the aircraft settled into trees on the golf course. It then fell to the ground and rolled onto its right side. The pilot, who sustained minor injuries, released his harness and evacuated unassisted. Weather recorded at East Midlands Airport (12 nm south) at 1420 hrs included a surface wind from 240° at 13 kt and a temperature of 21°C.
Examination Findings
The AAIB inspected the helicopter after recovery. It was upright on its skids with damage to the cockpit and tailboom consistent with a low forward speed impact with trees and subsequent fall. The main rotor blades had been cut off near the root by the recovery crew; all three exhibited upward bending along their length, characteristic of distortion seen when blades are subject to overpitching at low rotor RPM in flight. Two of the three pitch control links at the top of the rotor mast had broken on impact, but one remained intact, allowing verification of the collective lever's range of movement, which was within specifications. The helicopter was originally delivered with two 15 USG fuel tanks (total 30 USG, maximum fuel weight 180 lb). At some stage during ownership, it had been fitted with larger 20 USG tanks (maximum fuel weight 240 lb). This modification required a different fuel gauge, but the helicopter retained the original gauge calibrated for the smaller tanks. The gauge reportedly read full when full and empty at the unusable fuel level. No decal indicated the increased capacity. The helicopter lacked a throttle correlator, requiring manual throttle operation. On the accident flight, fuel quantity was well within maximum gross weight due to a single occupant and fuel consumed during the transit.