Loss of control

The pilot was making a landing approach in 8 knot crosswind conditions. Witnesses reported that the aircraft was flared at a greater height above the ground than normal, and it subsequently landed heavily and bounced. The pilot elected to carry out a go-around, applied full power and raised the flaps. Shortly afterwards, the aircraft stalled and struck the ground in a left wing low attitude at about 90 degrees to the runway heading. The pilot had not flown for several weeks, and had evidently misjudged the height of the aircraft when he commenced the landing flare. After he applied full power to go-around, he had retracted the flaps while the airspeed was still relatively low.

The aircraft was being flown at about 200 feet above ground level in a left turn while the pilot was attempting to locate some sheep. The pilot reported that the aircraft stalled and that during the recovery it struck a bush. This resulted in damage to the right mainplane, right wing strut, right horizontal stabiliser and the brake lines on both mainwheels. The pilot was able to maintain control of the aircraft and land at a nearby airstrip. The pilots attention was diverted from the operation of the aircraft whilst he searched for the sheep and directed the ground party. He had been working long hours and was only obtaining about 4 hours sleep each night and considered that fatigue was a factor in his allowing the airspeed to decay unnoticed.

In the latter stage of the landing roll the aircraft encountered a strong gust of wind from the right. The aircraft swung suddenly to the right and the pilot was unable to maintain directional control. The left maingear leg bent and the airframe distorted, allowing the left door to become dislodged. The aircraft came to rest on the runway, after having groundlooped through 130 degrees. Before landing the pilot had carefully monitored the Aerodrome Terminal Information. He was fully aware of the possibility of occasional wind gusts resulting in a maximum crosswind component of 15 knots, which is 2 knots above the maximum limitation for the aircraft. Also he was prepared to conduct a go-around should he have encountered any problems during the approach and flare during the touch down. It is also probable that the pilot relaxed his concentration too early during the landing roll, in anticipation of completing the day's flight.

The pilot deposited the sling load of delicate instruments on the ground. To avoid dropping the shackle on the load, and because of the proximity of a hangar to the left, he moved the helicopter to the right. The movement, together with type of shackle used and the design of the hook, resulted in the load not being released. Prior to the flight the pilot had not insisted on the fitment of external load observation mirrors. While leaning out of the helicopter to check that the load had been released, he inadvertently caused the helicopter to move further to the right. The resulting tension on the cable connecting the hook and the load induced dynamic rollover. The pilot attempted unsuccessfully to correct the roll and during the subsequent landing the main rotor struck the ground. Use was not made of an available and qualified marshaller.

Circumstances:

The pilot, who had limited experience on the Bell 47, attempted to bring the aircraft to a quick stop at approximately 50 feet above ground level. During the manoeuvre, the cyclic control reached its forward stop. The pilot lowered the collective control in an attempt to recover the situation however his inexperience caused him to lose full control of the aircraft. The tail rotor struck the ground before the pilot was able to regain control. The subsequent landing was heavier than normal.

The student was conducting a series of circuits with touch and go landings. Wind conditions were calm and during the fifth circuit the pilot decided to carry out a full-stop landing before using another runway. At a speed of about 30 knots during the landing roll the pilot applied braking, but the aircraft immediately veered sharply to the right and ran off the side of the runway. The nosegear was broken when the aircraft entered a ditch before coming to a halt. An excessively worn brake pad on the right wheel assembly probably caused the brake to grab. The pilot had been unable to correct the resulting sudden and unexpected swing in time to prevent the aircraft running off the side of the runway.

The aircraft had been flown from an adjoining property by the owner. Because of difficulties encountered in starting the engine, the owner left it running while the pilot for this flight took his seat. At the time, weather conditions were hot, with a shade temperature of 46 degrees Celsius, and with little wind. The pilot subsequently advised that during the take-off roll he looked for the airspeed indicator, but was unable to locate it on the instrument panel. After lift-off a steeper than normal nose-high attitude was adopted, and the aircraft stalled from a height of about 20 feet above the ground. The particular aircraft was an early model of the type, with a different instrument panel layout, instrument coaming shape and height to that which the pilot had been operating during the preceding month. The pilot believed that the attitude selected after lift-off was the appropriate one, but because of the difference in instrument coaming heights the actual attitude was too steep. The departure had been hurried and the pilot had not familiarised himself with the layout of the instrument panel. The extreme ambient temperature had probably caused a degradation in the pilot's performance.

The student lost directional control of the aircraft during a touch and go landing in moderate crosswind conditions. The aircraft ran off the runway and collided with the aerodrome boundary fence. The student had only limited experience in handling the aircraft in crosswind conditions. The accident occurred during the first landing of the practice session.

After the student pilot had completed 1.2 hours of dual instruction in the circuit, his instructor assessed the pilot was ready for his first solo flight. The aircraft was brought to a halt on the grass runway 09 where the instructor alighted. The subsequent takeoff roll appeared to be proceeding normally when the aircraft suddenly veered to the left, departed the runway and collided with a boundary fence. The student pilot advised that the right cabin door had opened and he lost directional control when he lent over and attempted to close the door. The instructor reported that the right hand door lock was operating normally at the time of the accident. The accident was not the subject of an on scene investigation. This report is based on information supplied by the pilot.

Circumstances:

Following a period of instruction in stalls and steep turns, the student pilot returned to the aerodrome for practice in crosswind landings. Several dual circuits and landings were carried out, and the student was authorised for solo practice. The wind was about 10 knots, and gusty. The pilot completed six circuits without experiencing any problems, making a touch and go landing each time. As the aircraft was rolling along the runway just prior to the pilot retracting the flaps and applying power for his next circuit, the aircraft was struck by a gust of wind which lifted the right wing. The aircraft then veered sharply to the right, and the pilot was unable to regain control. The aircraft came to rest in a shallow drainage ditch. The student was possibly feeling the effects of fatigue. He stated that after the touch down he had returned the ailerons to the neutral position, having forgotten to maintain aileron control into wind to counteract the gusty crosswind effect.