History of Flight
The instructor and student pilot were conducting a training flight at Rand Aerodrome (FAGM) on 22 July 2010. The student pilot was at the controls. The instructor reported demonstrating autorotational landings following simulated engine failures after take-off. After completing an autorotation and recovery, while entering an in-ground-effect hover approximately 1 ft above ground level, the wind direction changed suddenly. The helicopter yawed to the left, causing the right-hand skid to impact and dig into the ground. The aircraft then rolled onto its right side.
Injuries
The two occupants exited the wreckage unassisted. No fatal or serious injuries were reported in the detailed injury table, although the executive summary indicated one person injured.
Damage to Aircraft
The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the right side of the fuselage, right-hand skid, main and tail rotor blades, tail boom, and windshield.
Personnel Information
The instructor, aged 27, held a valid commercial pilot license with a flight instructor rating and had 560.9 total flight hours, including 250 hours on type. The student pilot had 16.7 hours of flight instruction and was not yet licensed.
Aircraft Information
The aircraft was a Robinson R22 Beta II (serial number 3954), manufactured in 2005. It had a total of 117.1 airframe hours at the time of the accident. The last maintenance inspection was on 7 July 2010, 17.4 hours prior. The engine was a Textron Lycoming O-360-J2A.
Meteorological Information
Weather at the time was reported as CAVOK with surface wind from 070° at 7 knots, temperature 16°C, dew point 8°C, and QNH 1032. No official forecast was obtained before the flight. After the accident, Rand Aerodrome ATC reported wind from 020° at 7 knots.
Wreckage and Impact
The accident site was approximately 300 m south of the threshold of Runway 29, at coordinates S26°14.636’ E028°09.415’, elevation 5,466 ft. The helicopter was about 1 ft above the ground when the wind shift occurred. The sudden left yaw led to the right skid contacting the ground, causing the rollover.
Probable Cause
The investigation determined that the student pilot lost control of the aircraft after experiencing a sudden change in wind direction, resulting in a left yaw and the right-hand skid impacting the ground. A contributing factor was lack of supervision by the instructor.