What happened
On 22 September 2011, a Robinson R22 Beta, registration G-BXUC, was involved in a ground incident at Gloucestershire Airport during a training flight. Following a successful landing, the pilot attempted to hover-taxi the aircraft toward the operator's facilities located near the apron. During this maneuver, the pilot intended to reduce engine power; however, an accidental increase in throttle was applied.
This unintended power surge, occurring simultaneously with a left yaw pedal input maintained from the landing phase, triggered a rapid leftward rotation of the helicopter. The aircraft completed roughly six horizontal revolutions before the pilot successfully regained control. The sequence ended when the helicopter came to a stop in an upright position, though the rear of the landing skids became embedded in the grass adjacent to the apron.
The investigation
The investigation was based on the aircraft accident report submitted by the pilot. Investigators examined the sequence of control inputs and engine power adjustments during the taxiing phase. The inspection of the aircraft revealed that the impact with the ground caused the skin of the tailboom to buckle and resulted in the distortion of its supporting structure. There were no injuries to the pilot during the event.