History of the Flight
The student pilot, occupying the right seat of a Robinson R44 Astro (registration G-RONN), was preparing for the second leg of a solo cross-country navigation exercise. Prior to takeoff, he had stowed his map between the seat and the door. As the helicopter lifted into the air, the map fell into the footwell.
While airborne, the student attempted to recover the map. He instinctively bent forward, which resulted in an unintentional input on the flying controls, causing the aircraft to lurch to the right. This movement forced the map further forward under the pedals. The student stated that this caused him to panic and push down on the left yaw pedal subconsciously, as if applying a brake in a car. The helicopter then began to rotate rapidly to the left, completing at least one full rotation.
Unable to maintain control, the student decided to land. During the attempted landing, the aircraft remained upright, but the rear of the right skid dug into the ground, twisting the airframe. The student reported that he found he could not close the throttle due to damage to the engine controls from the airframe distortion. He shut down the engine by selecting the mixture to cut off, but not before both the engine and rotors had oversped. The pilot completed the remaining shut-down checks and vacated the aircraft unaided, uninjured.
Post-Accident Examination
Examination of the helicopter revealed that distortion to the airframe had damaged the engine controls, preventing throttle closure.
Comment
Previous accidents have occurred where pilots tried to recover objects or attempted other actions, such as re-closing doors, during inappropriate phases of flight. The student stated that his actions on this occasion were all instinctive. His report serves to reinforce the need to resist such actions until they can be conducted safely.