Accident Overview
On 14 January 2006 at 1350Z, a Robinson R44 helicopter registered ZS-REM sustained substantial damage during a forced landing near Sutherland, South Africa. The private flight departed from a farm in Sutherland with the pilot and two passengers on board. The pilot, who held a valid private helicopter license with 209.8 total flight hours (50.6 on type), was the only occupant injured and was hospitalized for one day.
Flight Details
After taking off in an easterly direction, the pilot initiated a left turn intending to fly westward. During the turn, the pilot perceived the helicopter moving sideways to the right. The airspeed was approximately 45 knots at a height of 50–60 feet above ground level. The pilot applied increased collective pitch to regain power and pushed the cyclic forward to recover forward speed, but these actions were ineffective. Before impact, the pilot noted a decay in main rotor RPM. The helicopter struck the ground and rolled onto its right side.
Injuries and Damage
The two passengers escaped without injuries. The pilot was hospitalized for observation and released the following day. The aircraft sustained substantial damage to the tailboom, main rotor blades, and tail rotor blades.
Maintenance and Oversight
The last Mandatory Periodic Inspection (MPI) was certified on 2 August 2005 at 3100.0 airframe hours. Since that inspection, the helicopter had flown an additional 97.7 hours. The South African Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) airworthiness department conducted audits of the approved maintenance organisation (AMO No. 846) on 4 January 2005 and 20 December 2005, resulting in a license renewal until 20 December 2006. The most recent surveillance inspection on 22 October 2003 found no discrepancies.
Probable Cause
The pilot took off with a tailwind component. He increased collective pitch and as a result the main rotor RPM decayed which caused a loss of lift and the accident was inevitable.