What happened
On 30 January 2008, a Robinson R22 Beta, registration G-OHSL, was conducting a training flight near Shobdon Airfield. The flight involved practicing forced landings from an altitude of 2,000 ft agl. Following an initial successful landing that resulted in the skids sinking into soft mud, the crew repositioned the helicopter to 2,000 ft to attempt a second landing.
During this second maneuver, the handling pilot identified an appropriate height to begin the flare at approximately 150 ft agl. The instructor, believing this was premature, took control of the aircraft and initiated the flare at roughly 40 ft agl. As the effectiveness of the flare decreased, the instructor increased the collective lever; however, the helicopter continued to descend. The skids made contact with the muddy ground, causing the aircraft to decelerate rapidly. This sudden deceleration caused the helicopter to pitch forward, leading the main rotor blades to strike the ground. The impact caused the tail rotor section to detach and the cockpit to be destroyed. Both crew members escaped through the right-hand door without injury.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the sequence of the flare maneuver and the interaction between the aircraft and the terrain. Investigators examined the flight profile, noting that the first landing attempt had already demonstrated the soft nature of the field. The investigation established that the instructor had taken control to correct the timing of the flare but failed to manage the descent rate effectively against the terrain conditions.