What happened
On 11 April 2007, a Robinson R22 Beta, registration G-ODJB, was conducting a training flight at Leicester Airport. The aircraft had departed from its base located near Loughborough earlier that afternoon. During the approach to land, the pilot found it impossible to control the rate of descent, resulting in the helicopter striking the ground with significant force.
At the time of the incident, the aircraft was operating near its maximum all-up weight. Environmental conditions were stable, with a temperature of 20ºC and calm winds. The impact caused damage to the tailcone and the skid landing gear cross tubes. The pilot did not immediately identify any damage during the landing and proceeded to continue the flight back to the base.
The investigation
Following the return to the base near Loughborough, a more thorough inspection of the aircraft was conducted. The maintenance organization's chief engineer examined the G-ODJB and confirmed that the impact had caused structural damage to the landing gear and the tailcone area. Despite the damage, the engineer noted that the aircraft's condition was such that it could have continued to fly without immediate mechanical failure.