ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 173761
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| Date: | Wednesday 11 February 2015 |
| Time: | 06:15 |
| Type: |  Robinson R22 BETA |
| Owner/operator: | Hawkeye Helicopters Pty Ltd |
| Registration: | VH-APP |
| MSN: | 1070 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | 54 km North-North-West of Kalbarri Aerodrome, WA -
 Australia
|
| Phase: | Standing |
| Nature: | Survey |
| Departure airport: | Campsite North of Kalbarri, WA |
| 54km NNW of Kalbarri Aerodrome, WA | |
| Investigating agency: | ATSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
After landing, the pilot and passenger disembarked from the helicopter and left the engine running. The helicopter subsequently lifted off with nobody at the controls, and collided with terrain. The pilot and passenger were uninjured. According to the following summary from the official ATSB report into the accident:
"At about 05:25 WST (Western Standard Time) on 11 February 2015, the pilot of a Robinson R22 helicopter, registered VH-APP, departed from a camp site north of Kalbarri, Western Australia, with a passenger on board. The purpose of the flight was to conduct a reconnaissance of the area where goats were to be mustered that day. The role of the passenger was to point out landmarks relevant to the mustering operation. There was some confusion about the landmarks, but the pilot and passenger completed their reconnaissance then landed at 06:12 WST, at another site (the goat yards at approximate co ordinates Latitude: 27°14.17’ S, Longitude: 114°04.27’ E, 54 km North-North-West of Kalbarri Aerodrome, WA) where the passenger disembarked.
From the goat yards, the pilot was to return to the muster area to commence the mustering operation. The passenger was himself also involved in the mustering operation, and had a ground vehicle pre-positioned at the goat yards.
When they landed at the goat yards, the passenger disembarked the helicopter under the supervision of the pilot, but the pilot still had some important points that he needed to clarify with the passenger. Rather than shut down the engine, the pilot elected to leave the helicopter running.
After applying cyclic and collective control friction, he disembarked the helicopter to follow the passenger. Having caught up with the passenger about 30 metres from the running helicopter, they then engaged in a conversation to clarify the points of concern to the pilot.
The pilot was unable to recall the exact length of time, but sometime in excess of about 2 minutes later, just as the pilot and passenger had concluded their conversation, the pilot heard the helicopter engine RPM increase and almost simultaneously, noticed that the helicopter was lifting clear of the ground. The helicopter climbed to a height of about 3 to 4 metres above the ground and yawed through about 80 degrees to the left. The helicopter travelled backwards for a distance of about 8 metres, remaining laterally level, and sank back to the ground with a significantly nose-high attitude.
The tail of the helicopter struck the ground first, followed by the rear end of the skids. The tail rotor blades separated from the helicopter as the tail struck the ground and the rear part of the left skid broke away during the impact. The helicopter settled upright but during the accident sequence, the main rotor blades struck the ground and stopped abruptly.
When the pilot was satisfied that it was safe to approach the helicopter, he moved forward and shut the engine down. Although the helicopter remained upright, it was substantially damaged. The pilot and passenger were both uninjured.
Leaving any vehicle with the engine running with nobody at the controls carries considerable risk. Pilots are encouraged to exercise extreme caution when considering the circumstances, and not allow perceived time pressure or other external factors to affect their judgement. The company Operations Manual allowed pilots to leave a helicopter unattended with the engine running under specific conditions, but the Robinson R22 Pilot’s Operating Handbook cautions pilots to the contrary."
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
1. ATSB: http://www.atsb.gov.au/publications/investigation_reports/2015/aair/ao-2015-017.aspx
2. http://helihub.com/2015/02/11/11-feb-15-vh-app-robinson-r22-kalbarri-australia/
3. http://www.regosearch.com/aircraft/au/APP
4. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-02-27/transport-safety-watchdog-to-probe-chopper-crash/6269222
5. https://www.casa.gov.au/aircraft-register?search_api_views_fulltext=&vh=APP&field_ar_serial=
6. https://www.atsb.gov.au/media/5680216/ao-2015-017_final.pdf
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 12-Feb-2015 12:35 | Pineapple | Added |
| 17-Oct-2016 21:46 | Dr.John Smith | Updated [Operator, Location, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 06-Nov-2016 08:11 | Anon. | Updated [Operator] |
| 17-Aug-2018 19:35 | Dr.John Smith | Updated [Time, Operator, Total occupants, Source, Narrative] |
| 17-Aug-2018 19:37 | Dr.John Smith | Updated [Narrative] |
| 17-Aug-2018 19:37 | Dr.John Smith | Updated [Narrative] |
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