Aircraft Information
The accident involved a Robinson R44 helicopter, registration G-SJDI, manufactured in 1999. It was powered by a single Lycoming O-540-F1B5 piston engine.
Flight History
The flight was a private operation. The pilot, aged 28, held a Private Pilot's Licence and had accumulated 76 flying hours, of which 10 were on the Robinson R44. In the 90 days prior to the accident, he had flown 21 hours, with 4 hours in the last 28 days.
On the day of the accident, the pilot completed a dual check flight with an instructor lasting 15 to 20 minutes. Afterwards, the dual controls were removed, and a passenger was seated in the left front seat. The pilot performed his pre-flight checks and, deviating from his normal procedure, decided to request taxi instructions from Air Traffic Control before lifting off.
Accident Sequence
After receiving taxi instructions, the pilot lifted the helicopter into a hover at approximately 12 feet above ground level. The helicopter began to drift towards a parked aircraft. As the pilot attempted to correct the drift, he realised that the cyclic friction control was still engaged. To free the friction, he removed his left hand from the collective lever. The helicopter immediately lost height. He then returned his left hand to the collective lever and applied power to arrest the descent, but the helicopter started to spin left. Recognising that control had been lost, the pilot lowered the collective lever. The helicopter struck the ground hard and continued to rotate left for one or two turns before coming to rest.
Post-accident Actions
Once the helicopter was stationary, the pilot shut down the engine. Both the pilot and the passenger were able to exit the helicopter normally. The accident resulted in one broken skid and additional damage to the body panels. Neither occupant reported any injuries.