What happened
On 28 April 2008, a Robinson R22 Beta, registration G-OTOY, was engaged in a training flight at Wellesbourne Airfield, Warwickshire. The flight was part of a training session involving a student pilot and an instructor. During the session, the instructor had previously demonstrated the increased power requirements necessary for taxiing and transitioning downwind.
While performing a hover taxi towards the helicopter training area, the student pilot attempted to taxi at a low altitude of approximately 6 feet. During this maneuver, the nose of the helicopter rose unexpectedly. In an attempt to stabilize the aircraft, the student applied left cyclic, which caused the helicopter to turn left downwind. Subsequent attempts to correct the heading using right pedal resulted in a loss of altitude. The aircraft descended and bounced twice on the grass surface before a third touchdown caused the skids to dig into the soft ground. This caused the helicopter to tip over, leading to the rotor blades striking the ground. The student pilot sustained one minor injury (a small cut to the head), and the aircraft was damaged beyond economic repair.
The investigation
The AAIB investigation reviewed the aircraft accident report submitted by the pilot and conducted further inquiries. The investigation examined the flight conditions, noting that Runway 24 was in use and winds were from 210-230° at 8-12 kt. The investigators also reviewed the student's actions during the loss of control and the instructor's observations of the descent.