What happened
On 19 July 2005, at approximately 08:15 UTC, a Robinson R22 Beta, registration G-RICE, was conducting a private flight at Swansea Airport, West Glamorgan. The pilot, an experienced instructor, was performing practice autorotations in preparation for an upcoming Line Proficiency Check.
During the second autorotation of the session, the aircraft was positioned into the wind. As the helicopter approached the threshold of Runway 22, the pilot noted a slight misalignment with the wind direction. Upon touchdown, the aircraft experienced a leftward drift. This movement caused the left skid to strike the ground slightly before the right skid, resulting in structural damage to the undercarriage.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the circumstances surrounding the touchdown and the impact on the aircraft's structure. The pilot reported that the wind conditions at the time were approximately 270 degrees at 14 knots, with gusts reaching 17 to 18 knots.
Examination of the aircraft revealed a slight bend in the lower left-hand frame and the undercarriage cross tube. While the deformation of the cross tube was found to be within the manufacturer's allowable limits, the operator elected to replace both components as a precautionary measure.
Findings
- The pilot encountered a wind gust near the ground during the landing phase.
- This gust caused the aircraft to drift to the left during the touchdown process.
- The resulting impact between the left skid and the ground caused the bending of the lower left-hand frame and the undercarriage cross tube.
- There were no injuries to the pilot.