What happened
On 3 July 1999, a Robinson R22 Beta, registration G-BSCE, was engaged in a private flight near Redditch, close to Birmingham. Following a successful dual flight check at Coventry Airport earlier that morning, the pilot and a passenger proceeded to the area to conduct aerial photography of local buildings and a field.
The flight was conducted at low altitudes, with the pilot performing several circuits at approximately 700 feet before executing a low approach. During this final approach, flying into the wind at an indicated airspeed of 30 knots, the aircraft descended to 100 feet after crossing a line of large trees. As the pilot attempted to level the aircraft, the helicopter encountered turbulence, which triggered a leftward yaw. Despite efforts to correct the movement, the pilot lost control of the aircraft, leading to a rapid loss of altitude. The pilot managed to regain directional control and arrested the vertical descent just before impact.
Although the landing was described as hard, there were no injuries to the crew or passenger. An initial inspection by the pilot revealed a bent right skid, but no other visible damage was noted at the scene. After performing further maneuvers in the field to confirm control stability, the pilot returned to Coventry.
The investigation
The investigation examined the flight conditions and the aircraft's performance capabilities at the time of the incident. It was noted that the weather featured a westerly wind of 20 knots and a cloudbase of 3,000 feet, though local conditions were described as gusty.
Findings
- The helicopter was operating at a weight near its maximum limit.
- The aircraft encountered unanticipated turbulence associated with the local terrain while flying at a low altitude.
- Due to the combination of high weight and low altitude, the aircraft lacked the necessary performance and height to recover from the turbulent-induced yaw.