History of the Flight
On 28 May 2009 at 1120 UTC, a student pilot was landing a Robinson R44 Clipper II (registration G-CLPR) on the concrete apron in front of hangars at Goodwood Aerodrome, Chichester. The wind was calm, visibility more than 10 km, and cloud base at 1,800 ft. After a solo navigation exercise, the pilot hover-taxied to the centre of the apron, stabilised the hover, and began descent. He felt the helicopter was under total control until, approaching the ground, he experienced some buffeting. Just before the skids touched, he recalled a sudden swing to the left. He could not clearly remember the order of events but remembered lowering and then raising the collective, immediately realising the error and lowering it again.
Witness Observations
A witness estimated the helicopter was hovering about two feet above the ground before descending. He observed a left-to-right rocking movement; the right skid contacted first, then the left. The helicopter bounced slightly from left to right, and the pilot appeared to try to lift it back into a hover. The rocking became more extreme, and the helicopter spun violently to the left while banking to the right, causing the main rotor blades to impact the ground. Another witness, a commercial helicopter pilot, saw the helicopter spinning quickly left about one foot above the ground. After one complete revolution, the helicopter lifted in a nose-low, right-skid-low attitude and rolled over onto its right side.
Damage and Injury
The helicopter came to rest on its right side, having rotated about 100° from its original heading. The main rotor stopped in line with the fuselage; the forward blade broke about one-third from the mast, with most of the outboard portion detached or disintegrated. The tail rotor blades were intact. Fragments of main rotor blades and tail section scattered across the apron and nearby grass. A piece of debris weighing approximately 1.1 kg was flung about 200 ft, cutting through Heras fencing, striking and seriously injuring a workman’s leg, then penetrating the outer skin and insulation of a hangar before landing four metres away.
Pilot Actions and Outcome
The pilot remained in his seat until the engine and rotor energy dissipated, then released his seatbelt, turned off the battery master switch and fuel valve, and vacated via the left door. He was uninjured.
Analysis
The buffeting the pilot felt probably coincided with the skids contacting the ground, but this could not be determined with certainty. There was no direct evidence explaining the left yaw, but it was possible the left yaw pedal was inadvertently pushed forward. Witness evidence indicated the helicopter swung about 360° on or near the concrete, consistent with the pilot slightly lowering the collective. The helicopter then lifted into a nose-low, right-skid-low attitude, likely because the pilot raised the collective. With the helicopter spinning left, if the front part of the right skid touched the ground, dynamic rollover occurred. Lowering the collective again was not in time to prevent the rollover.