What happened
On 2 February 2000, a Robinson R22 BETA, registration G-BRXV, was engaged in a training flight at Headcorn Aerodrome, Kent. The flight was being conducted by an instructor pilot providing continuation training for a student pilot, specifically focusing on engine-off landing procedures.
During the session, the student successfully completed an initial powered recovery from an autorotation. Following this, two subsequent engine-off landings were performed to a high standard. However, during the third attempt at an engine-off landing, the aircraft experienced a slightly heavy touchdown which caused the helicopter to bounce. As the aircraft rocked forward, the front of the skids dug into the soft ground. This motion caused the main rotor blades to strike the tail boom, resulting in the boom being severed.
The investigation
The investigation was based on the aircraft accident report submitted by the pilot. Investigators examined the sequence of the landing and the environmental conditions at the time. The weather was reported as good, with visibility exceeding 10 km and broken cloud at 4,000 feet. The instructor noted that the landing maneuver, including the flare and use of the collective, initially appeared normal.
Findings
- The primary cause of the structural failure was the main rotor blades striking the tail boom following a heavy landing and subsequent bounce.
- The landing was characterized by a slightly increased rate of descent and a heavy touchdown.
- The instructor suggested that a sudden decrease in wind speed may have contributed to the heavier landing and the subsequent forward movement of the aircraft.
- The aircraft sustained a severed tail boom, but there were no injuries to the two occupants on board.