Pilot caught eating on camera before fatal helicopter crash

Footage from the R66’s cockpit camera showed that the autopilot was engaged while the pilot was “occupied with non-flying related tasks … specifically, mobile phone use and the consumption of food and beverages”, the ATSB said.

This hindered the pilot’s ability to respond when the turbulence caused a low-G condition that made the helicopter roll to the right.

“The helicopter was flying on autopilot at an indicated airspeed of 115 kt, 45 kt above the manufacturer’s maximum recommended speed for flight in significant turbulence,” ATSB director of transport safety, Stuart Macleod, said.

“This speed significantly increased the uncommanded right roll rate and reduced the time available for the pilot to respond by applying a gentle aft cyclic input to re‑load the main rotor disc.

“In addition, the pilot had been eating and had food in their right hand, and so they used their left hand to manipulate the cyclic, reducing their ability to slow the helicopter in a timely manner using coordinated flight control inputs.”

“Instead, the pilot progressively applied increasing left cyclic during the right roll, increasing the risk of an extreme teetering event, where the spindles of the main rotor contact the main rotor shaft, precipitating a break‑up.”

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The broken‑up helicopter subsequently impacted the waters of Providence Bay, near Hawks Nest, and the pilot was fatally injured.

“The investigation also found that the asymmetrical horizontal stabiliser fitted to Robinson series helicopters, comprising both the piston‑powered R22 and R44 as well as the turbine R66, significantly contributes to uncommanded right roll rates during low‑G conditions, adding to the risk of an in‑flight break‑up,” Macleod said.

The stabiliser is an inverted aerofoil that produces downward forces to counter the helicopter’s natural tendency to adopt a nose-down attitude with increasing air speed.

With the asymmetrical design on Robinson helicopters, it extends from the right side of the tail cone and creates a right rolling moment, which is normally counteracted by a left tilt of the main rotor disc.

However, in a low‑G condition where the main rotor disc is unloaded, it cannot counteract the right rolling moment.

“Pleasingly, Robinson Helicopter Company has developed a symmetrical horizontal stabiliser that is being fitted to all new Robinson helicopters, and is available as a modification for all existing Robinson helicopters,” Macleod said.

In addition, Robinson will replace the asymmetric stabiliser with the symmetrical design on all R66s and R44s returned to it for overhaul.

“Further, Robinson Helicopter is in the process of updating several safety notices to provide pilots with improved guidance specific to low‑G, turbulence, and pilot distraction,” Macleod said.

“The modification significantly reduces the right roll if a low‑G condition is encountered, allowing pilots more time to recognise and respond to the situation.”

Macleod also warned Robinson helicopter pilots to avoid turbulence where possible, and to fly through it at or below the manufacturer’s recommended speed when unavoidable.

“In this case the pilot’s response to encountering the low‑G contributed to the development of the in‑flight break‑up, but we would caution all Robinson helicopter pilots that a low‑G condition can result from turbulence directly, and pilots must be ready to respond appropriately,” he said.

“If the main rotor disc is not immediately reloaded, right roll can develop rapidly, particularly when an asymmetrical stabiliser is fitted.

“Therefore, it is critical that pilots apply immediate gentle aft cyclic to reload the main rotor, before correcting the right roll.”