What happened
On 10 June 2003, a Robinson R22 Beta, registration G-MICH, was engaged in a training flight at Shobden Airfield, Herefordshire. The flight involved an instructor and a student pilot performing general handling and hover practice.
During the hover phase, the two crew members provided conflicting accounts of the sequence of events. The instructor stated that while the student was in control at a height of approximately eight feet, the student lowered the collective and applied aft right cyclic input. The instructor attempted to intervene by announcing "I have control," but the student reportedly overrode the corrective inputs. This resulted in the tail rotor striking the ground and the low rotor RPM warning horn sounding, before the aircraft rolled onto its right side.
Conversely, the student pilot claimed that the instructor took control during the hover but subsequently released the cyclic. According to this version, the helicopter lurched to the right, and the instructor was unable to regain control before the tail struck the ground.
Both crew members sustained minor injuries and were able to exit the aircraft without assistance. The aircraft was damaged beyond economic repair.
The investigation
The AAIB examined statements provided by both the instructor and the student pilot. The investigation noted that the instructor had previously identified difficulties in the student's progress, specifically regarding communication and the correct procedure for handing over and taking over flight controls. Prior to the accident, a revised method for these transitions had been practiced. The investigation was unable to reconcile the differing accounts of the specific control inputs that led to the impact.