What happened
On July 6, 2002, a Robinson R22 Beta, registered ZS-RJJ, was involved in an accident during a training flight at East London. The aircraft was being operated by a student pilot performing his second solo flight. The flight was intended to be a local circuit, departing from and returning to FAEL.
As the pilot approached the second landing of the flight, the helicopter entered the hover phase near the threshold of Runway 11. During this critical phase of the approach, the pilot lost directional control, which triggered a right-hand spin. In an attempt to arrest the rotation, the pilot abruptly lowered the collective. This maneuver led to the helicopter striking the ground and subsequently rolling over. The weather conditions at the time were reported as fine with a light easterly wind.
The investigation
Investigators examined the circumstances surrounding the student pilot's solo operations and the mechanical response of the aircraft. Prior to this solo mission, the student had successfully completed a consolidation check ride and was deemed competent by the instructor. The investigation also looked into the pilot's perception of the aircraft's behavior, as the pilot noted that the helicopter appeared unresponsive to pedal inputs during the incident.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was the pilot's failure to apply sufficient left yaw pedal input to maintain directional control.
- This lack of corrective input caused the aircraft to spin to the right.
- The pilot's decision to abruptly lower the collective to stop the spin contributed to the impact and subsequent rollover.
- The pilot sustained minor injuries in the crash, but there were no fatalities.