What happened
On 20 April 2006, a Robinson R22 Beta, registration G-OHFT, was involved in an accident during a solo general handling training session at Gloucestershire Airport. The student pilot was performing solo exercises following a briefing from an instructor. The flight sequence began with a standard start, followed by a hover taxi of roughly 600 metres toward a position south of Runway 27.
After receiving clearance, the pilot attempted to taxi on a northerly heading. While attempting to turn left to cross Runway 22, the helicopter began to oscillate in roll. This instability led to a nose-down pitch, causing the right-hand skid to strike the ground. The impact caused the helicopter to roll onto its right side, which resulted in the rotor blades breaking and the shattering of the perspex canopy. The aircraft sustained damage beyond economic repair. The pilot, who was wearing a seatbelt, escaped the wreckage with minor injuries.
The investigation
The AAIB investigation established that the student pilot had not flown for 28 days prior to the accident. While the pilot's flight time within the previous 30 days technically met the requirements for solo flight, the investigation noted the pilot's limited experience.
During the maneuver, the pilot was hovering at a lower altitude than he realized. Although the pilot estimated a height of 15 feet, witnesses assessed the actual hover height to be approximately 5 feet. The investigation considered that the low altitude left insufficient margin to recover from the oscillations experienced during the turn.
Findings
- The student pilot was performing a solo hover taxi exercise at a lower altitude than anticipated.
- The pilot overestimated the available height during the turn, which prevented effective recovery from roll oscillations.
- The pilot had a limited amount of recent flying experience, having flown only one hour in the 28 days preceding the accident.
Safety action
Following the accident, the flying school updated its Flying Order Book. The new regulations mandate that any student who has not flown within 10 days must complete a dual flight with an instructor before being permitted to conduct solo flights.