Accident Details
On 16 April 2006 at 1455 UTC, a Robinson R44 helicopter (registration G-MAMK) was involved in an accident at Holt Lodge Inn, Llan-y-pwll, Wrexham, North Wales. The helicopter, manufactured in 2002, was powered by a single Lycoming O-540-F1B5 piston engine. The flight was private, with one pilot and three passengers on board.
Pilot Information
The 24-year-old commander held a Private Pilot's Licence and had a total flying experience of 68 hours, of which 14 hours were on the Robinson R44 type. His flying experience in the 28 days preceding the accident was 2 hours; experience in the last 90 days was not known.
History of the Flight
The helicopter departed from Liverpool on a private flight to a landing site adjacent to a hotel near Wrexham. Weather conditions were good, with a light breeze of up to 10 kt. The pilot reported flying an orbit around the planned landing site and then conducting an approach into wind, as judged from a windsock at the site. The transition to a hover was completed without difficulty, but the subsequent landing was heavy. In response, the pilot raised the collective lever but then recalled applying too much right yaw pedal, resulting in a loss of yaw control. The helicopter fell onto its right side and came to rest. There was no fire.
Damage and Injuries
The helicopter sustained substantial damage, deemed beyond economical repair. The pilot and all three passengers evacuated the aircraft without injury. Examination of photographs taken after the accident, along with further discussions with the pilot, indicated that the approach and landing had been flown downwind. A flying instructor experienced on the R44 suggested that the high weight at which the helicopter was being flown may have complicated the downwind landing, but this was not determined as a contributing factor in the official report.