Summary
On 2 April 2009, a flight instructor and student pilot in a Robinson Helicopter Company R22, registered VH-YDA, were conducting normal circuit and autorotation training at Proserpine/Whitsunday Coast Airport, Qld. At 1400 Eastern Standard Time, the helicopter collided with terrain on the grass at the side of the departure end of runway 11. The helicopter was seriously damaged, and the instructor was seriously injured.
After the accident, neither pilot could recall any of the flight sequence immediately before the impact. There were no witnesses to the accident and no relevant recorded data. An examination of the helicopter wreckage indicated that there were no pre-impact defects. Due to a lack of information, the investigation was unable to determine why the helicopter collided with terrain.
The investigation found that the use of safety helmets would reduce the risk of pilot injury during door(s)-off operations.
The investigation also found that the helicopter was about 11 kg overweight on take-off for the flight.
Occurrence summary
| Investigation number | AO-2009-010 |
|---|---|
| Occurrence date | 02/04/2009 |
| Location | Proserpine |
| State | Queensland |
| Report release date | 11/12/2009 |
| Report status | Final |
| Investigation level | Systemic |
| Investigation type | Occurrence Investigation |
| Investigation status | Completed |
| Mode of transport | Aviation |
| Aviation occurrence category | Collision with terrain |
| Occurrence class | Accident |
| Highest injury level | Serious |
Aircraft details
| Manufacturer | Robinson Helicopter Co |
|---|---|
| Model | R22 |
| Registration | VH-YDA |
| Serial number | 4346 |
| Sector | Helicopter |
| Operation type | Flying Training |
| Departure point | Shute Harnour, Qld |
| Destination | Proserpine/Whitsunday Coast Airport |
| Damage | Substantial |