Loss of control Incident Robinson R22 Mariner G-STRO, Wednesday 24 September 2003

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Date:	Wednesday 24 September 2003
Time:
Type:	Robinson R22 Mariner
Owner/operator:	Sloane Helicopter
Registration:	G-STRO
MSN:	3262M
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Substantial
Location:	1 NM al sur de Porto Petro (Illes Balears) - Spain
Phase:	Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.)
Nature:	Survey
Departure airport:
Destination airport:
Investigating agency:	CIAIAC
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
The crew was carrying out a photographic flight at a low height, taking photographs of boats navigating close to the coastline.
The helicopter was equipped with a system of inflated floats along its skis and was flying with the left-hand door off to facilitate the taking of photographs. The pilot and the person taking the photographs were on board the helicopter.
After photographing the stern of a sailing boat for approximately one minute, the helicopter was commencing the acceleration manoeuvre for its ascent when one of the helicopter’s skis touched the water, causing the helicopter to fall onto the surface and tip over, with the cabin being submerged in the water. The two occupants escaped from the helicopter and rose to the surface, being rescued by the same boat which they had been photographing.

CONCLUSIONS
The helicopter’s successive loss of height due to different actions on the helicopter’s controls, application of insufficient power to correct this loss and the possible erroneous interpretation of the helicopter’s height above the water on the pilot’s part could have caused the helicopter’s descent and subsequent impact with the water resulting in it overturning.

Accident investigation: