What happened
On 22 May 1998, a Robinson R22 Beta, registration G-LOLO, was involved in an accident at Bournemouth International Airport during a private training flight. The pilot, a student with 31 total flying hours, had just completed a successful dual check flight and was performing solo hover practice over a grass area southeast of Runway 17. Weather conditions were favorable, with visibility exceeding 10 km and light winds.
While maintaining a hover, the pilot paused flight maneuvers to observe a light aircraft taxiing on the runway. Once the other aircraft had passed, the pilot attempted to reposition the helicopter to face the prevailing wind at an altitude of roughly 6 feet. During this maneuver, the aircraft began to yaw toward the right. In an attempt to correct the movement, the pilot applied forward cyclic and increased the collective lever. However, the aircraft continued to yaw through approximately 720 degrees before rolling to the right and striking the ground. The impact resulted in the aircraft being damaged beyond economic repair, though the pilot escaped no injuries.
The investigation
The AAIB conducted an investigation based on the accident report submitted by the pilot and a physical inspection of the wreckage. Investigators examined the mechanical integrity of the helicopter, specifically looking for any mechanical malfunctions that might have contributed to the loss of control. The inspection of the Robinson R22 Beta by a repair agency and the AAIB found no evidence of any pre-impact mechanical failures. Specifically, there was no indication that the tail rotor drive or the tail rotor control system had failed during the flight.