What happened
On 16 August 2005, a Robinson R22 Beta, registration G-CCHZ, was involved in an accident during a private flight at Newtownards Airfield, Northern Ireland. The student pilot had been conducting a navigation exercise, which included a landing at St Angelo before returning to Newtownards.
Upon returning to the airfield, the pilot performed a standard approach parallel to Runway 2 and transitioned into a hover near the 'Heli West' grass area. As the pilot attempted to hover taxi to a parking position on the western side of the airfield, the aircraft began drifting to the right. To counteract this drift, the pilot attempted to move the cyclic control to the left; however, the control handle became caught under a plastic kneeboard and its Velcro attachment strap, which was secured to the pilot's left leg.
In an effort to regain control, the pilot lifted his left foot off the left tail rotor pedal. This action allowed the helicopter to yaw rapidly to the right. During the subsequent attempt to correct the drift using right cyclic input, the right landing skid struck the ground, causing the aircraft to roll onto its right side. The impact caused the main rotor blades to strike the ground and resulted in the engine stopping. The pilot, who sustained minor injuries, was able to exit the aircraft unassisted.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the mechanical interference between the flight controls and the pilot's equipment. It was established that the pilot had performed a full and free control check prior to departure from Newtownards, but this check was conducted while the kneeboard was in place. Crucially, the investigation found that the controls had not made contact with the kneeboard or the map during that specific check. No control restrictions were noted during the previous landing at St Angelo.
Findings
- The accident was caused by the restriction of the cyclic control movement created by the pilot's kneeboard.
- The pilot's decision to lift his foot from the left tail rotor pedal allowed a rapid rightward yaw to develop.
- The physical obstruction prevented the pilot from applying the necessary left cyclic input to counteract the wind-induced drift.