What happened
On 5 December 2010, a Robinson R44 Raven II, registration G-ODHB, was conducting a training flight at Staverton Airfield in Gloucestershire. During the course of a hover taxi, the right-hand forward entry door unexpectedly opened.
The student pilot, who was operating the aircraft, momentarily diverted his attention from the flight controls to look at the open door. This distraction caused the helicopter to enter an unusual attitude. In an attempt to stabilize the aircraft, the pilot instinctively released his grip on the cyclic control. This loss of control resulted in the helicopter making heavy contact with the ground. There were no injuries to the pilot, though the aircraft sustained damage to the left aft landing gear fairing and the tailskid tube.
The investigation
Following the incident, the door latch mechanism was inspected to determine if a mechanical failure had allowed the door to open during flight. The investigation established that the operator found no faults with the operation of the latching system.