Details of the Accident
On 16 February 2008 at 1545 UTC, a Robinson R22 Beta, registration G-CCVY, was involved in an accident during a landing on a hill approximately 2 nautical miles north-east of Girvan, near Prestwick. The aircraft was manufactured in 1991 and powered by a Lycoming O-320-B2C piston engine. The pilot, who held a Private Pilot's Licence and was 57 years old, was the only occupant. He had accumulated 6,728 flying hours, of which 136 were on type. The weather conditions included a surface wind from the south-west at 5–10 knots, visibility greater than 10 km, no significant cloud, an outside air temperature of +5°C, and a dew point of -1°C. The local pressure setting was 1042 hPa.
Flight History
The pilot planned a local flight from Prestwick, which included the possibility of landing on a hill he had successfully landed on three days earlier. The departure from Prestwick proceeded normally, and the helicopter climbed to 1,300 ft. During the flight, carburettor heat was selected fully ON until the approach to the hill, whose summit was approximately 1,200 ft amsl. The pilot approached the hill from the south-west, which was the downwind leg of a left-hand circuit. The hill was steep-sided but had a large flat area on top, intended as the landing point. There was no visible wind direction indicator at the site.
Pilot's Account
During the approach, the pilot reduced airspeed to about 50 kt and established a gentle rate of descent of 100 to 150 fpm. He selected carburettor heat to OFF and reduced airspeed to approximately 20 kt as he passed the landing site. At about 50 ft agl and just beyond his intended landing point, the pilot executed a pedal turn to the left through approximately 150°. At a height of approximately 20 ft, he raised the collective control lever at the normal rate to reduce the rate of descent. The helicopter continued to descend, prompting the pilot to raise the collective lever fully to cushion the touchdown. The left skid struck the ground with sufficient force to break the skid cross tube mounts, causing the aircraft to roll onto its left side. The main rotors struck the ground, and the pilot stopped the engine. The pilot vacated the aircraft through the right door upon hearing fuel escaping and moved away from the wreckage. He noted that the wind was more southerly than anticipated but that his final approach was generally into the wind. The pilot contacted Prestwick air traffic control via mobile telephone to report the accident and that he was uninjured, then descended the hill to seek assistance. The pilot could not identify the specific cause but considered the helicopter had either encountered a downdraft or suffered a loss of engine power, or possibly a combination of both.