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Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Narrative: Following an uneventful flight from Edinburgh Airport to his private landing strip at Gilmerton, the pilot then flew his three passengers to a friend's landing site at Crombie Point; this would be his first landing at that site. The weather was good with a cloud base of 4,000 feet agl, a surface temperature of 21 degrees C and a surface wind of 180 degrees/11 knots.
On final approach, the pilot suddenly noted an obstruction on the landing area and decided to go-around. However, as he did so the low rotor RPM warning sounded and, to correct this, the pilot lowered the collective lever. He then re-established his go-around but noted some power lines in his intended flight path which he just managed to clear.
By now, the low rotor RPM warning was again sounding and the pilot saw a second obstruction of trees directly ahead. He flared the aircraft and landed heavily; during this final manoeuvre, the main rotor blade struck a tree.
Calculations subsequent to the accident revealed that, with the declared passenger and fuel weights, the helicopter was 40 lbs below the MTOW/MLW of 2,440 lb and that the centre of gravity was within limits. The pilot reported that, normally, he carefully checks his intended landing site but that he omitted to do soon this occasion.
Additionally, when he arrived at the site,he realised that it was more restricted than he expected but still continued with his planned landing. Finally, for his approach,the pilot assumed the same surface wind as at Gilmerton but considers that it may actually have been from a different direction.
Nature of Damage: Main rotor blade impact under power and heavy landing checks
NOTE: The AAIB report attributes the accident to Robinson R 44 G-BXUK. However, the CAA records (see link #2) note that the helicopter was sold to the Netherlands on 6 February 1996, six months before the above accident, and it was re-registered as PH-WJW to Helicon BV, Bergen op Zoom. The Netherlands registration was cancelled on 23 August 2010 upon return to the UK when it took a new registration G-PIOM