Accident Summary
On 14 June 2000 at 1206 UTC, a Hughes 269C helicopter, registration G-BXMY, was involved in an accident at Redhill Aerodrome, Surrey, during a private training flight. The aircraft sustained damage to its starboard skid tube and rear crossbeam, requiring replacement of the crossbeam. Both crew members, a recently qualified pilot and a flying instructor, were uninjured.
Aircraft and Pilot Information
The helicopter was a Hughes 269C, manufactured in 1974, powered by a single Lycoming HIO-360-D1A piston engine. The commander held a Private Pilot's Licence (Helicopters), was 44 years old, and had a total flying experience of 497 hours, including 15 hours on type. In the last 90 and 28 days, he had flown 16 and 13 hours, respectively.
Accident Details
The flight was conducted as a 30-day recency check with a flying instructor. Weather conditions were fine with a strong south-westerly wind of 16 to 20 knots. During the final stages of a practice engine-off approach to the southern helicopter training area, the aircraft suddenly lost forward speed and sank rapidly to the ground from approximately 10 feet. The subsequent hard landing resulted in a split starboard skid tube and damage to the rear crossbeam beyond repair limits.
Probable Cause
The instructor considered that the accident was caused by late corrective action for a loss of airspeed resulting from low level windshear.