AAIB investigation to Robinson R66, G-WBRN
Loss of control in-flight, Chalfont St Peter, Buckinghamshire, 11 June 2025
G-WBRN entered IMC at around 400 ft after departure. The autopilot was engaged initially but was disengaged subsequently after which the pilot lost control of the helicopter. It emerged from the bottom of the cloud in an extreme attitude, rolled level and entered a rapid yaw to the left, which continued until it struck the ground and rolled over. The pilot was uninjured, but the helicopter was significantly damaged.
The pilot was not qualified to fly on instruments alone, and an opportunity to turn around was missed when the weather encountered after takeoff proved to be as forecast. There appeared to be confusion about autopilot modes and the autopilot was disengaged, leading to the loss of control.
Bulletin correction:
A correction was issued concerning this report on 19 May 2026 and published in the AAIB Bulletin 6/2026.
The correction can be downloaded below:
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