Incident Overview
On 5 April 2018, a student pilot was conducting rapid deceleration (quick stop) training in a Robinson R22 Beta, registration ZS-RGJ, at Virginia Airport (FAVG), KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. The weather was fine. The pilot was the sole occupant and sustained no injuries. The helicopter sustained damage to the skid gear and lower fuselage.
Sequence of Events
During the quick stop maneuver, as the pilot was levelling off at the end of the deceleration, the low rotor RPM warning horn sounded and the aircraft suddenly lost altitude. The pilot increased collective pitch to arrest the descent, but the helicopter made contact with the ground hard. The aircraft then lifted off the ground with only the right skid, pivoting about the left skid. The pilot stopped the rotational motion by applying cyclic and right pedal. After the helicopter stopped rotating, the pilot lowered the collective to settle it back on the ground.
Aircraft and Pilot Information
The helicopter, a Robinson R22 Beta, had a valid Certificate of Airworthiness and Certificate of Registration. The last mandatory periodic inspection was carried out on 19 September 2017 at 4243.0 airframe hours. At the time of the accident, the aircraft had 4336.4 total airframe hours, with 93.4 hours since the last inspection. The student pilot held a valid Student Pilot Licence (Helicopter) with an expiry date of 21 January 2019, endorsed for the R22 type. His aviation medical certificate was valid until 31 December 2018 with corrective lens restrictions. He had a total of 73.3 flight hours, all on the R22.
Investigation Findings
The investigation determined that the helicopter landed hard following a loss of rotor RPM due to insufficient collective input at the end of a quick stop. The accident occurred during daylight at coordinates 29°46’9.76” South, 031°3’32.25” East, at an elevation of 40 feet above mean sea level.