What happened
On 16 April 2009, a Robinson R22 Beta, registration G-ODJB, was engaged in a training flight at Nottingham City Airport. The flight was being conducted by a student pilot accompanied by an instructor. Following an initial hour of training, the crew took a 30-minute break before commencing a second training session.
During this second session, the student was performing hover-taxiing maneuvers. The aircraft was positioned near the Runway 09 threshold, moving slowly downwind. During this phase of flight, the student began to over-control the aircraft. Without warning, the student applied a sudden and large forward cyclic input. This maneuver caused the helicopter to adopt a sharp nose-down attitude. The instructor was unable to intervene before the front of the skids made contact with the ground, causing the aircraft to roll onto its left side. Both occupants were able to exit the helicopter without assistance, though the aircraft sustained extensive damage.
The investigation
Investigators examined the circumstances surrounding the flight and the environmental conditions at the time of the accident. The surface winds were reported to be varying between 10 and 20 knots from a 030° direction. The instructor noted that while the student had been performing reasonably well despite the challenging wind conditions, the suddenness of the control input left no opportunity for corrective action.
Findings
- The accident was caused by the student pilot's sudden and large forward cyclic control input.
- The instructor was unable to prevent the impact due to the rapid nature of the control movement.
- The flight was being conducted in challenging wind conditions, specifically a tailwind of up to 20 knots.