ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 280987
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| Date: | Sunday 12 November 1995 |
| Time: | 11:50 |
| Type: |  Robinson R-22 Beta |
| Owner/operator: | MFH Ltd |
| Registration: | G-MFHL |
| MSN: | 0885 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1988 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Location: | Nash's Farm, Godstone, Tandridge, Surrey, -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | Landing |
| Nature: | Training |
| Departure airport: | Redhill Aerodrome, Redhill, Surrey (EGKR) |
Robinson R-22 Beta G-MFHL: Substantially damaged 12 November 1995 in a forced landing at Nash's Farm, Godstone, Tandridge, Surrey
A student and his instructor were flying Robinson R.22 G-MFHL out of Redhill Airfield on the morning of 12 November 1995. The student was in control, under the supervision of the instructor, whilst he carried out a practice auto-rotation landing from 1,400 ft. The helicopter successfully auto-rotated to 600 ft, at which altitude the instructor told the student to recover. This he did, the helicopter ascending 100-200 ft, before a loud noise was heard and the helicopter yawed violently, from port to starboard, and the low rotor speed alarm sounded. The instructor took control to make a genuine auto-rotation landing.
The field selected for landing was in the Godstone area and was far from ideal, containing a standing crop and both the undershoot and overshoot being obstructed. However the landing was made with a ground speed of 5-10 knots. This carried the helicopter some 15 ft forward before the starboard skid dug into the soil, causing the helicopter to lurch forward and to starboard. Whilst doing so, the main rotor blades hit the ground before the helicopter fell back onto its skids and came to a halt. Both the instructor and the student were able to evacuate the helicopter without assistance or injury.
The helicopter was badly damaged in the forced landing, suffering substantial damage to the main rotor blades and mast as well as damaging the tail rotor and cone. But it would appear that this was repaired as the helicopter soon changed hands and continued on the UK civil register until 2001 before being transferred abroad. The cause of the engine failure was a mystery. The instructor, who had over 3,500 hours (mostly instructing) on R-22s, said that the practice auto-rotation was done 'by the book' and that after recovering and hearing the loud noise, what he experienced was an engine failure rather than a reduction in power. However when the engine was bench tested, it started at the second attempt and then ran without problems.
Whilst the atmospheric conditions were not conducive to carburettor icing, there had been reported cases of Robinson R-22s suffering engine failure, as opposed to rough engine running, as a result of carburettor icing. However the instructor was convinced that the problem had not been carburettor icing. Thus whatever caused G-MFHL to force land was and remained a mystery.
Robinson R-22 Beta G-MFHL was first registered in the UK as such on 4 October 1988. It was sold on to new owners (still as G-MFHL) on 6 December 1995 - some three weeks after the above accident. On 17 January 1997, it was re-registered as G-BXCX. On 11 September 2001 the registration G-BXCX was cancelled as "Transferred to another country or authority REPUBLIC OF IRELAND". Once in Ireland, it was re-registered as EI-CWL
Sources:
1. AAIB Final Report: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5422fe31e5274a1314000929/Robinson_R22_Beta__G-MFHL_03-96.pdf
2. http://www.rotorspot.nl/product/r22.php
3. https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/02204219/charges
4. http://www.rotorspot.nl/historic/ei.php
5. https://britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/101029783-nashs-farm-house-godstone#.YucB5Nrx744
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 31-Jul-2022 22:32 | Dr. John Smith | Added |
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