Incident Details
On 23 June 2003 at 1422 UTC, a Robinson R22 Alpha helicopter, registration G-BLTF, was conducting a training flight at Blackpool Airport in Lancashire. The aircraft was operated under a Commercial Pilot's Licence by an instructor aged 44, who had accumulated 788 flying hours, including 720 hours on the type. The surface wind was reported as 270° at 18 kt.
Sequence of Events
After the student pilot practised hovering manoeuvres, the instructor began to demonstrate recovery actions required if the helicopter drifted downwind during a spot turn. The helicopter was positioned into the wind at an estimated skid height of 20 feet to allow for any sink during recovery. A spot turn to the left was initiated, and the helicopter was deliberately allowed to drift downwind through the first 180 degrees of the turn. The turn was continued, and forward cyclic control was applied to arrest the rearward movement. When the helicopter faced back into the wind, still at a skid height of 20 feet, it was still travelling rearwards at a ground speed of 10 kt. The rotor disc flapped forward, as normal in this situation, and the helicopter pitched nose down. Consequently, the helicopter descended and the front of the skids struck the ground. It bounced airborne to a skid height of 5 feet, rotated to the right through 270 degrees, and hit the ground, coming to rest in an erect attitude with one skid detached and extensive damage to the airframe, approximately 15 metres downwind from the initial impact point. The engine and rotors were shut down, and the crew vacated the helicopter via the normal doors.
Aircraft and Crew Information
The aircraft was a Robinson R22 Alpha, manufactured in 1984, equipped with one Lycoming O-320-B2C piston engine. The crew comprised two persons (instructor and student) with no passengers. No injuries were reported. The damage was described as substantial. The commander held a Commercial Pilot's Licence, was 44 years old, and had flown 93 hours in the last 90 days and 36 hours in the last 28 days.
Cause
The instructor assessed the cause of the accident as a greater rearward ground speed than anticipated, which caused the 'flap forward' and subsequent pitch change.