Robinson R22 Beta crash near New Plymouth, New Zealand

On March 30, 2013, at 1300 local time, a Robinson R22 Beta II, ZK-HIE, while maneuvering during an instructional flight near New Plymouth, New Zealand, experienced a sudden roll to the right and pitched down. The certified flight instructor and student pilot were not injured and were able to regain helicopter control and landed without further incident. The maneuver resulted in mast bumping and damage that required the replacement of many of the main rotor system components. The helicopter was operated by Ice Aviation Limited under the pertinent civil regulations of the government of New Zealand. The investigation is under the jurisdiction of the Government of New Zealand. This report is for information purposes only and contains only information released by the Government of New Zealand. Further information pertaining to this accident may be obtained from: Transport Accident Investigation Commission P.O. Box 10323, The Terrace Wellington 6143, New Zealand Level 16, 80 the Terrace Wellington 6011, New Zealand Phone 0800 188 926 Fax +64 4 499 1510 Website: http://www.taic.org.nz