What happened
On August 29, 2023, at approximately 15:50 UTC, a private Robinson R66 helicopter, registration LV-HVZ, was conducting a flight for inspection purposes. The aircraft departed from Aeropuerto Internacional San Fernando and was operating in the vicinity of Belén de Escobar Aerodrome in the province of Buenos Aires.
During the flight, the crew attempted an autorotation maneuver near the threshold of runway 33. As the pilot executed the flare phase of the maneuver, the helicopter lost stability and experienced a rollover onto its left side.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the sequence of events during the flight maneuvers at the Belén de Escobar Aerodrome. The aircraft was engaged in general aviation operations under visual meteorological conditions (VMC). The investigation examined the transition from the autorotation descent to the flare, specifically looking at the aircraft's behavior at low altitude near the runway threshold.
Findings
- The aircraft was performing a specialized flight maneuver (autorotation) as part of an inspection.
- The incident occurred during the flare phase of the maneuver.
- The primary factor leading to the accident was the overturning of the aircraft onto its left side during the final stage of the landing maneuver.