What happened
On 16 June 2000, a Robinson R44, registration G-SJDI, was involved in an accident at Liverpool Airport during a private flight. The pilot had recently finished a dual check flight with an instructor and had transitioned to solo flight with a passenger on board. Following pre-flight inspections, the pilot requested taxi instructions from Air Traffic Control prior to departure.
As the helicopter entered a hover at roughly 12 feet, it began drifting toward a stationary aircraft. In an attempt to correct this drift, the pilot discovered that the cyclic friction was still engaged. While attempting to release the friction by removing his left hand from the collective lever, the aircraft experienced an immediate loss of altitude. The pilot attempted to apply power to stop the descent, but the helicopter entered a left-hand spin. The aircraft subsequently struck the ground with significant force, continuing to spin for one or two rotations before coming to a halt.
The investigation
The investigation was based on the accident report submitted by the pilot. It was established that the aircraft sustained damage to the skids and various body panels. There were no injuries to the pilot or the passenger, both of whom were able to exit the aircraft without assistance.
Findings
- The primary cause of the loss of control was the engagement of the cyclic friction during the initial hover.
- The pilot's attempt to release the friction resulted in an inadvertent loss of altitude.
- The subsequent loss of control and ground impact occurred while the pilot was attempting to manage the descent and power settings.