ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 273425
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| Date: | Sunday 4 May 2003 |
| Time: | |
| Type: |  Robinson R22 Beta |
| Owner/operator: | |
| Registration: | ZS-HUH |
| MSN: | 0895 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1988 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | 14.6 km Nort East of Vrede -
 South Africa
|
| Phase: | |
| Nature: | |
| Departure airport: | Newcastle (FANC) |
| Grand Central (FAGC) | |
| Investigating agency: | CAA S.A. |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The pilot, accompanied by his wife, departed from Grand Central airport at approximately 0938Z on Saturday morning, 3 May 2003, for a private flight to Durban. The following morning they commenced their return journey from Durban to Grand Central with a refuelling stop at Newcastle, where the aircraft was refuelled to capacity. They departed Newcastle at approximately 1200Z. After flying for nearly an hour with strong head winds at 6 500 feet, the pilot decided to land as the flying was tiresome. He identified a quiet piece of farmland with no visible livestock or residences. He approached into wind, which was gusting from the north. The aircraft was brought into the hover with the skids approximately 4 feet above the ground. It was then turned to the right out of wind (crosswind) and the pilot proceeded with the hover taxi to a more suitable landing area. In an attempt to identify a more suitable landing area the aircraft was positioned in such a way that the strong gusting wind was now from the rear (downwind, tailwind component). According to the pilot he then experienced the 'aircraft sinking'?, whereupon he increased the collective pitch lever to reduce the descent. At this stage the low rotor RPM warning light illuminated and the audio warning sounded. In an attempt to recover from the low rotor rpm condition he lowered the collective pitch lever, and the aircraft continued to descend rapidly. The right skid impacted the ground and the nose tipped forward, with the aircraft pivoting around that point it rolled-over and was facing in the direction from which they approached (into wind). Both occupants escaped from the wreckage with minor cuts and bruises. PROBABLE CAUSE: The pilot attempted a downwind landing, during strong gusty wind conditions. He experienced a loss of translational lift, which caused the right skid gear assembly to make contact with the ground, followed by a subsequent rollover.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
S.A. CAA
History of this aircraft
Other occurrences involving this aircraft
| 16 September 2001 | ZS-HUH | 0 | 2-3 NM South-east of Johannesburg-Grand Central Airport (GCJ/FAGC) | |
sub |
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
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Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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