History of Flight
The pilot, a foreign student training for a commercial pilot licence, was conducting a solo flight from Mossel Bay Aerodrome (FAMO). After approximately 30 minutes of flight, she performed hover turns (spot turns) over an open farmland area used by the training organisation. She completed a 360° right hover turn and began a left turn. About 30° into the turn, the skid gear contacted the ground. The helicopter continued rotating anti-clockwise, causing the tail rotor stinger and lower vertical fin assembly to strike the ground. This resulted in the vertical fin, including the fenestron tail rotor, separating from the composite tail boom. The helicopter then experienced uncommanded anti-clockwise rotations in the air and crashed nose-down approximately 48 m away, coming to rest on its right side, oriented 180° from the impact direction.
Injuries
The pilot sustained a blow to the left side of her head and an injury to her right shoulder. She was taken to a private hospital, treated, and discharged the same day. No fatalities occurred.
Damage to Aircraft
The helicopter was destroyed beyond economical repair. The fuel tank remained intact with minimal spillage. No other property damage occurred; the farmland was cleaned and restored.
Pilot Information
The pilot, a 28-year-old female Kenyan national, held a valid private pilot licence with a type endorsement. She had 172.1 total flying hours, with 102.4 hours on the Guimbal Cabri G2. Her medical certificate was valid until 31 January 2016 with no restrictions. She had no previous accidents.
Aircraft Information
The aircraft was a Guimbal Cabri G2 (serial no. 1103), manufactured in 2015 and imported from France. It had 80.0 total airframe hours at the time of the accident. The last mandatory periodic inspection was at 74.4 hours, and a 25-hour oil change was performed on 5 October 2015. The Lycoming O-360-J2A engine had 80.0 hours since new. Weight and balance was within limits (553 kg vs. 700 kg max).
Meteorological Information
Surface wind was from 140° at 8–10 kt, temperature 18 °C, visibility >10 km, nil cloud, dew point 11 °C. Conditions were daylight.
Wreckage and Impact
The initial ground contact was by the skid gear, followed by the tail rotor stinger and lower vertical fin. The fenestron tail rotor assembly separated from the tail boom. The helicopter came to rest on its right side.
Probable Cause
The pilot allowed the lower vertical fin to make contact with the ground during a manoeuvre close to the ground, which caused the vertical fin assembly together with the shrouded tail rotor to break off from the tail boom, resulting in a loss of tail rotor thrust. She was unable to regain control of the helicopter and it crashed. (Poor technique)