What happened
On 9 June 2001, a Robinson R44, registration G-POLT, was conducting a type conversion flight near Heolgerrig, South Wales. The flight was being led by an instructor, who was transitioning a qualified R22 pilot onto the R44. The aircraft also carried a student pilot and another qualified R22 pilot as passengers. The weather conditions were favorable, characterized by good visibility and light winds.
During the flight, the instructor decided to demonstrate an approach and landing at a private site located near his residence. As the helicopter descended through 50 feet with almost no forward airspeed, the aircraft was struck by a sudden and very strong gust of wind that caused a rightward yaw. In an attempt to correct the yaw with left pedal, the pilot's rate of descent increased. Despite attempts to increase power and maneuver the aircraft to gain translational lift, the pilot was forced to land on sloping ground in a nearby field. Upon touchdown, the helicopter rolled onto its left side, resulting in substantial damage to the rotor assembly and the left side of the fuselage. There were no injuries to the four occupants.
The investigation
The investigation was based on the aircraft accident report submitted by the pilot. Investigators examined the sequence of maneuvers and the environmental conditions at the time of the incident. The crew's actions during the descent and the impact with the sloping terrain were analyzed alongside the reported meteorological conditions.