What happened
On 17 October 2008, a Robinson R22 Beta, registration G-SBUT, was involved in an accident during a solo training flight at Shoreham Airfield. Following several dual instruction sessions, the student pilot was instructed to perform his first solo circuit. To compensate for the absence of a passenger in the left seat, the instructor had advised the student to use extra forward and left cyclic inputs during takeoff.
During the initial takeoff attempt, the aircraft experienced a leftward yaw, which the student corrected using right yaw pedal and cyclic inputs. After the instructor briefly left the aircraft to check the ground, the student continued the exercise. On the second takeoff attempt, the aircraft yawed much more violently to the left. The student responded with right cyclic and yaw pedal, but felt a jolt and reacted by pulling aft cyclic. This caused the nose to pitch up and the aircraft to raise its collective to gain altitude. During this maneuver, the rear tip of the right skid remained on the ground, acting as a pivot that caused the aircraft to roll onto its right side. The impact damaged the main rotor and caused a fuel leak. The student sustained a serious injury, specifically a broken wrist, as his arm became trapped in the cockpit.
The investigation
The investigation examined the flight controls and the sequence of pilot inputs. It was noted that the student was following specific instructions to apply additional left-side compensation for the empty seat. The investigation focused on the physics of the aircraft's movement and the pilot's reaction to the yaw.
Findings
- The student likely overcompensated for the lack of a left-seat occupant by applying excessive left-side inputs.
- The pilot's attempt to control the yaw resulted in the rear tip of the right skid becoming a pivot point.
- The primary cause of the accident was dynamic rollover triggered by the aircraft's interaction with the ground during the yaw correction.