Robinson R22 Safety Course

The Need For A Safety Course

Apart from the sheer expense of $200,000 aircraft being regularly written off with consequent increased insurance premiums, public confidence in helicopters is suffering which in turn has an effect on the viability of the industry as a whole. It is sobering to hear that the overseas accident rate is half that of Australia with our civil helicopter accident rate seven times that of our military. The American experience of enormous payouts as the result of litigation is already with us as American lawyers experienced in this field are being flown in to handle multi-million dollar claims. Whilst the magnitude of the number of R22s on the Australian register inevitably means that they will feature more in accident summaries than any other helicopter type, their bad record is having a detrimental effect on the entire helicopter industry. Yet as analysis of accident summaries has shown, the aircraft itself is not really to blame, pilot training is the key.

Background To The Course

Frank Robinson, the designer of the R22 recognised some time ago from analysis of R22 accidents worldwide, that well over 70% were caused by handling problems and that there was a need for a post-qualification safety course. An added imperative was the fact that Robinson, as a matter of policy, does not carry litigation insurance. Tony Carmody, the principal of Aerostar Aviation which is based in Caloundra, and a very experienced R22 operator, saw the need for an Australian equivalent course and gained Frank Robinson’s approval to set it up. It is perhaps understandable that the latter would readily endorse the proposal observing that although only some 13% of the 2600 R22s built have been exported to Australia, they alarmingly account for 90% of the Robinson Helicopter Company’s problems in terms of operator mismanagement, worldwide. Working with Tony Carmody is Rob Rich, another very experienced helicopter pilot who is currently chief training pilot with the Queensland SES. He is an ex-army helicopter pilot with experience as a maintenance test pilot and as a CAA Examiner of Airmen. The course has been running for just on a year and about 180 pilots have been put through in that time. Perhaps the most significant indicator of the acceptance of the need for such a course was the attendance earlier this year of 50 mustering pilots at a course conducted at Mareeba. This particular course was sponsored by Dick Smith; the latest Sydney course was sponsored by Heliflite.

Australian Aviation Insurance Group Endorsement Of Course

Late last year the Australian Aviation Insurance Group (Agency) Pty Ltd announced, as a worldwide first, an insurance programme specifically designed for owners and operators of R22 helicopters. An essential requirement of the policy is that the pilot of any R22 helicopter insured must have completed an approved Robinson safety course within the preceding 24 months. This is a continuous condition, however for the introduction of the programme, a six month compliance period has been allowed to enable pilots to complete the course. The hull rate is set at 14.75% with claims subject to a time/life adjustment. In the event of any claim, all recovery and repair work is to be undertaken by Helicopter Rebuilds of Bankstown. A policy excess of 7.5% is applicable, increasing to 12.5% of hull value if the pilot flying the aircraft has not completed the safety course. The minimum sum assured is $110,000.

Course Participants

Of the 34 participants, over half were private pilots, which, observing that the course was run over a holiday long weekend and cost $250 for the ground school (a one hour flying safety check is another $290), indicates a recognition of the need for post-qualification consolidation training. In reflecting on this, I couldn’t help but compare the private helicopter pilot with his military counterpart. In the latter’s case, gaining his or her wings is only one milestone in a continuing well-supervised training programme. However in the case of the private pilot, and particularly one who owns his or her own helicopter, continuation training can effectively cease post-qualification. Of course, staying in touch with the training organisation can help to overcome this, but without a purpose-designed post-qualification continuation programme, bad habits can quickly develop. It would be interesting to know how many helicopter training organisations run this type of programme. The problem of lack of supervised continuation training also applies to low-time commercial pilots sent out on their own without adequate supervision, as the horrendous accident record of the mustering industry will attest.

Course Content

The course naturally is modelled on the Robinson Factory’s but modified to reflect specific Australian data and operating conditions. The three main subjects addressed are accident analysis, R22 design and systems, and R22 aerodynamics. Other subjects include human factors, insurance, the law and of particular relevance observing the high accident rate, and post-accident administrative actions. Backing up the presentations are well prepared handouts covering BASI Australian Helicopter Accidents 1969-1988, a Summary of R22 accidents in Australia, Factory Service Letters, a Listing of Life Limited Components, Mandatory Service Bulletins, Factory Safety Tips and Notices, Flight Manual Extracts, and last but not least R22 Aerodynamics and Associated Limits. The last afternoon of the ground school phase is spent in practical demonstrations of what to look for in a preflight walkround. The final day is devoted to a review of critical flight manoeuvres followed by flying demonstrations for those participating in this phase of the course.

Accident Analysis

As might be expected observing the prime reason for the course, accident analysis features fairly heavily throughout the three days of ground school. It was not surprising to learn that in the Australian scenario, 73% of accidents occur during instructional flying since the R22 has found a ready niche for itself in this type of work. Dual accounts for 55% and solo 18%. Some 7% of accidents occur when the machine is under hire and the remaining 20% fall into the “other” category. The most significant cause of accidents is low speed/low rotor rpm at 34%, with dynamic rollover and tail rotor strikes accounting for 25% each. The remaining 16% again fall into the “other” category. A high 14% of fatal accidents occur during ferry flights, so much so that Frank Robinson has strict rules in terms of pilot qualifications for a new owner to take delivery of an R22 from the factory. The statistics show that solo students account for 36% of fatalities, being most susceptible to the low airspeed/low RRPM syndrome and of course dynamic rollover during hovering/landing. In the latter regard, the R22 has a low tolerance to tilt should a skid strike an obstruction, however simply raising the hover height from the traditional 1m to 1.5m (3ft to 5ft) has brought about a 70% reduction in this type of accident.

Despite what appears to be conclusive evidence, there is still some disagreement in the industry over the question of the low airspeed/low RRPM (Rotor RPM) syndrome. Put simply, inexperienced pilots when reducing airspeed below 53kt (98kmh) (minimum speed for minimum power) to observe something outside the aircraft such as an object on the ground, tend not to add power and hence lose RRPM. Lowering the collective to regain RRPM only exacerbates the problem since power is further reduced through the throttle/collective correlation mechanical link. As the descent inevitably steepens, should the collective be raised without leading with throttle, the main rotor will stall and the aircraft pitch forward striking the ground, on occasions with the rotor actually stationary. The problem appears to be peculiar to the R22 because of the aircraft’s light weight, low energy rotor system, and one suspects, due to the excellent correlation provided by the collective/throttle mechanical setup. Pilots trained on lesser systems soon learn that they have to fine-tune the RRPM through use of the throttle, as I learnt many years ago on the Bristol Sycamore. In other words they may have a better practical understanding of the use of throttle than low-time R22 pilots. To reduce the risk, Robinson recommends that wherever possible, speed should be maintained above 60kts for normal flight. One answer to the problem is of course a governor which is now offered as an option on the R22 and can be retrofitted to earlier models. My brief experience with the excellent governor fitted in the R44 (refer p63 May ’94 AA) indicates to me that it would be money well spent.

Although there are many other issues raised in the study of the accident summaries, one that would be amusing if it was not so tragically unnecessary is that some 12 incidents have occurred of R22s going flying by themselves! There is no factory fitted collective clamp, and if left unattended, the collective may rise through vibration and the helicopter will get airborne. A final part of this section was an introduction to the very informative series of Factory Safety Tips and Notices issued by Robinson.

R22 Design And Systems

This section of the course confirmed once again that there is no known substitute for carefully studying the flight manual! A few pertinent questions asked at the beginning of the first lecture confirmed that while many will have a rough idea of performance and limitations, detailed study (preferably sitting in the cockpit) is necessary to get the numbers absolutely right. The course was walked through all the known problem areas of the R22 and introduced to the Factory Mandatory Service Bulletins and Service Letters issued to all owners and operators. In addition the fatigue life of the aircraft was discussed in detail. The clear lesson from this section was that any R22 pilot not in receipt of this material would be well advised to tap into a flying school or similar organisation, that has links to the factory.

R22 Aerodynamics And Handling Inflight Emergencies

This section, covered in three sessions, took the course through the specific aerodynamic characteristics of the R22. Amongst other things, for those inclined to be casual about maintaining RRPM, it provided a timely reminder that power available is proportional to RRPM. Should power be required to recover from an emergency situation, it will not be available at low RRPM. Equally sobering was the reminder that the climb phase of flight is critical in that in the event of a total power failure, just on a second is available in which to lower the collective to prevent rotor stall. The message here was never to remove your hand from the collective in a climb. Perhaps the best advice coming from this section was to cruise above 60kt (110kmh) and 500ft since energy for autorotation depends on height and airspeed, not the rotor.

Inadequate Maintenance And Unauthorised Spare Parts

It was chilling to learn of the dismal standard of maintenance of some aircraft, including the use of bogus parts, and in the worst instances of time-expired components being sold as new. Unlike some helicopter manufacturers, the Robinson Company does not countenance the use of salvaged parts. The CAA is aware of malpractice in this area and has advised all R22 certificate of registration holders to be particularly cautious in the purchasing and fitting of spares.

Conclusions

The Robinson Company has determined that as a direct result of the factory course, there has been a general reduction in the R22 accident rate of 75%, and that a remarkable 90% reduction has been achieved in the training rate. It would be reasonable to expect a similar result from the Australian course with the passage of time. It was clear from talking to the course participants that they gained not only from the direct information provided, but also from the knowledge acquired of how to tap into R22 information systems in the future. Tony Carmody and Rob Rich are to be congratulated on taking the initiative in setting up the course in Australia. It is to be hoped that the 140-odd companies operating R22s, and the remaining 800 R22 endorsed pilots will see the wisdom of attending one of their courses in the future. Finally, whilst loathe to endorse specific commercial activities, unquestionably the Aerostar Aviation Robinson Helicopter Safety Course is timely, and value for money.