What happened
On 10 March 2005, a Robinson R44 Raven II, registration G-CDEY, was conducting a private flight from Manchester’s Barton Airfield to the Langley Castle Hotel in Northumberland. The flight included the pilot and two passengers. After spending the afternoon at Carlisle racecourse, the crew departed at approximately 17:10 hrs to reach the hotel for a business meeting.
Upon arrival at the landing site—a small grass area measuring roughly 60m by 50m located near the hotel—the pilot performed an overflight of the area. The site was surrounded on three sides by tall trees and featured a significant slope. As the pilot attempted to land, he entered a low hover, turning to face up the slope. During the descent, the pilot mistakenly believed the aircraft's full weight was supported by the skids while the collective was still in mid-travel. This led him to rapidly lower the collective to its minimum pitch position.
Because the aircraft was not yet fully settled, this action caused the helicopter to pitch forward unexpectedly. The pilot reacted by pushing the cyclic forward without raising the collective, causing the main rotor blades to strike the ground. The impact caused the tail to strike the earth and a fire quickly spread around the cabin. All three people on board managed to escape the burning aircraft unassisted and sustained no injuries, though some singed hair was noted.
The investigation
An investigation by the AAIB examined the landing site and the pilot's actions. It was noted that the landing area was challenging due to the surrounding trees, which obscured the horizon when descending below the treeline. An instructor subsequently flew the same site in another R44 and confirmed that the slope varied, with much of it at or above 10 degrees, presenting significant difficulties for light helicopters.
Further enquiries revealed that the pilot had relatively limited flying experience, with approximately 130 total hours, only about 50 of which were on this specific type. Additionally, the pilot had owned the aircraft for only about two weeks. The investigation also found that the hotel staff, while aware of the landing site, lacked the technical expertise to provide pilots with critical information regarding ground conditions or wind speeds.
Findings
- The pilot applied an inappropriate landing technique by rapidly lowering the collective before the aircraft was fully settled on the skids.
- The pilot's instinctive recovery attempt—pushing the cyclic forward without raising the collective—directly caused the main rotors to strike the ground.
- The landing site presented significant hazards, including a steep slope and tall trees that obscured the horizon.
- The pilot's limited experience with the aircraft type and the specific challenges of the landing site contributed to the error.