Aircraft and Crew Information
The accident aircraft was a Robinson R22 Beta, registration G-DODR, manufactured in 1990. It was powered by a single Lycoming O-320-B2C piston engine. The flight was a training sortie with two crew members on board: an instructor and a student pilot. The instructor held a Commercial Pilot's Licence, was 33 years old, and had a total flying experience of 447 hours, of which 340 were on type. In the previous 90 days he had flown 26 hours, and in the last 28 days, 15 hours. The student pilot's details were not specified.
History of the Flight
On 14 December 2007 at 1125 UTC, the instructor and student were conducting an early hovering exercise at Cranfield Aerodrome in Bedfordshire. The weather was described as suitable, and the aircraft was positioned over a large clear area with good visual references. The student had previously demonstrated the ability to control heading with the yaw pedals and height with the collective. During this phase, the student had control of the cyclic while the instructor was responsible for maintaining the aircraft's height and heading. The instructor described the student's progress as good. Whenever the student drifted from the designated area, the instructor took full control and repositioned the aircraft to the centre, then allowed the student to resume cyclic control from a stable hover.
During the hover exercise, the right skid contacted the ground, causing the aircraft to roll over. It came to rest on its left side. The instructor switched off the battery, selected the fuel mixture to lean, and both occupants exited the aircraft. Emergency services arrived quickly and took the crew to hospital, where they were released shortly after.
Injuries and Damage
The student pilot was uninjured. The instructor sustained minor injuries. The aircraft suffered substantial damage.
Comment
The primary responsibility of an instructor, as captain of the aircraft, is to ensure the safety of the aircraft and its crew. From this safe environment, the instructor must then teach the student. It appears that, on this occasion, the instructor allowed himself to become overly focused on the training.