Helicopter crash report is published

A helicopter crash which seriously injured two people was a training exercise that went wrong, a report has said.

The accident took place on June 8 last year at Goodwood Aerodrome and saw both occupants of the helicopter rushed to hospital with serious injuries.

An investigation by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) found the crash came following a simulated engine failure as part of a skills test.

A summary of the report reads: “While conducting a simulated engine failure from the hover, the helicopter yawed rapidly to the left. Despite the actions of the pilots the helicopter continued to yaw rapidly and control was not recovered.

“The helicopter was seen to climb while spinning before descending rapidly and contacting the ground, sustaining severe damage.”

An attempt to land the helicopter after the simulated engine failure felt ‘a bit firm’ according to the student pilot, who was flying with an instructor.

The AAIB report summary added: “The investigation found that the accident was probably initiated by a premature application of the left yaw pedal and raising the collective lever, before the throttle was fully closed during a simulated engine failure exercise.

“There remained sufficient space within the cabin for the occupants to survive the accident and to allow the first responders to extricate them swiftly without risking further injury. The flexible fuel tank liner had not been compromised and there was no post-crash fire.

“A combination of the energy absorbing seat system and the destruction of the composite fuselage absorbed impact energy such that both occupants survived with injuries that were serious but not life-threatening.”

The report said the manufacturer had since issued two service letters to prevent reoccurrence and that the aircraft, a Guimbal Cabri G2 was damaged ‘beyond economic repair’.