Ground strike involving a Robinson R22 Beta, VH-JKS, Kununurra Airport, Western Australia, on 21 February 1995

The instructor and student were practising engine out landings, to touchdown, on a grassed area of the airport. On the accident approach, ground speed had been reduced to below five knots before the aircraft touched down. As the aircraft slid along on its skids they dug into the soft ground and the helicopter pitched forward until the main rotor blades struck the ground. The helicopter then rolled onto its right side.

The instructor was aware of the soft ground and was monitoring the approach carefully. Because the ground speed was low, the instructor was not expecting any problems with the landing and, as a result, he had insufficient time to take corrective action before the main rotor blades struck the ground.