History of the Flight
The aircraft, a Robinson R22 Beta registered G-ODJB, departed from its base near Loughborough to conduct training at Leicester Airport. On approach to land at approximately 1500 UTC on 11 April 2007, the pilot was unable to arrest the rate of descent, resulting in a heavy landing. The pilot did not notice any damage at the time and continued the flight back to base. The aircraft had behaved normally throughout the return flight.
Aircraft Examination
After returning to base, a closer inspection revealed slight damage to the skid landing gear cross tubes and tailcone. The chief engineer of the maintenance organisation responsible for its repair commented that the damage was such that the aircraft "would have flown quite happily."
Pilot and Conditions
The pilot, a 36-year-old commercial pilot with 1,440 total flying hours (1,200 on type), stated that at the time of the occurrence the aircraft was operating close to its maximum all-up weight. The outside air temperature was 20°C and the wind was calm. The pilot reported no injuries to the crew (self) or the passenger.
Aircraft Details
The Robinson R22 Beta (year of manufacture 2003) was powered by one Lycoming O-360-J2A piston engine. The flight was a training sortie with one crew and one passenger on board.