Haughey Air AgustaWestland AW139 crash
Accident | |
---|---|
Date | 13 March 2014 |
Summary | Pilot error, spatial disorientation |
Site | Gillingham, Norfolk, United Kingdom 52°28′40″N 1°32′38″E / 52.47778°N 1.54389°E |
Aircraft | |
Aircraft type | AgustaWestland AW139 |
Operator | Haughey Air |
Registration | G-LBAL |
Flight origin | Gillingham, Norfolk |
Stopover | Coventry Airport |
Destination | Rostrevor, County Down, United Kingdom |
Occupants | 4 |
Passengers | 2 |
Crew | 2 |
Fatalities | 4 |
Survivors | 0 |
On 13 March 2014, an AgustaWestland AW139 helicopter of Haughey Air crashed shortly after taking off at night in fog from Gillingham, Norfolk, United Kingdom, killing all four people on board. Among the victims was Edward Haughey, Baron Ballyedmond.
The subsequent investigation concluded that the flight crew may have been subject to
Accident
The aircraft crashed at about 19:26 hrs UTC,[1] shortly after taking off from Gillingham Hall, Gillingham, Norfolk,[2] for Rostrevor, County Down,[3] via Coventry Airport.[1] An eyewitness to the accident stated that the helicopter came down at a 45° angle. The front of the aircraft was severely damaged in the crash.[4] The location was at Ordnance Survey Grid Reference TM407925.[3] At the time of the accident, weather conditions were foggy.[2] All four people on board were killed; both crew and both passengers.[3] Lord Ballyedmond was one of the passengers.[2] The bodies of the victims were removed from the wreckage during the afternoon of 14 March.[3]
The
Aircraft
The accident aircraft was an
Investigation
The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) opened an investigation into the accident.[2] AgustaWestland assisted the AAIB in their enquiries. The aircraft's data recorders were recovered from the wreckage on 15 March 2014.[7] A Special Bulletin published by the AAIB on 4 April revealed that there had been no mechanical failure with the helicopter and that it had not contacted any object between taking off and the crash site.[1] The final report into the accident was originally scheduled to be published around March 2015.[7] It was published on 8 October 2015. The investigation found that there was no mechanical failure with the aircraft. The crew were found not to have used checklists when operating the helicopter. The cause of the accident was pilot error, with spatial disorientation due to somatogravic illusion a major factor.[12]
An inquest into the deaths of the four victims was opened on 20 March at
References
- ^ a b c "AAIB Bulletin S3/2014 SPECIAL" (PDF). Air Accidents Investigation Branch. Retrieved 4 April 2014.
- ^ a b c d e f Shields, Mark. "Update: Roads closed as investigations continue into Norfolk helicopter crash in which four people, including Lord Ballyedmond, were killed". Eastern Daily Press. Archant. Archived from the original on 14 March 2014. Retrieved 14 March 2014.
- ^ a b c d e f "Norfolk crash: Lord Ballyedmond raised concerns over helicopter". BBC News. Retrieved 14 March 2014.
- ^ Lennard, David. "Update: Eyewitness tells how he saw the Gillingham helicopter come down at "unusual 45-degree angle"". Eastern Daily Press. Archant. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 14 March 2014.
- ^ a b "NI peer Lord Ballyedmond among Norfolk helicopter crash dead". BBC News. Retrieved 14 March 2014.
- ^ Bradley, Kathryn. "Photo update: Images show extent of damage in Gillingham helicopter tragedy as search for answers continues". Eastern Daily Press. Archant. Archived from the original on 15 March 2014. Retrieved 15 March 2014.
- ^ a b c "Norfolk crash helicopter's wreckage being removed". BBC News. Retrieved 16 March 2014.
- ^ Bradley, Kathryn. "Photo and video update: Candles lit and a prayer said for Gillingham helicopter crash victims". Eastern Daily Press. Archant. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 16 March 2014.
- ^ Lay, Louisa (17 March 2014). "All roads now open following Gillingham helicopter crash". Eastern Daily Press. Archant. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 19 March 2014.
- ^ a b "G-LBAL". United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 14 March 2014.
- ^ Edgar, James (14 March 2014). "Lord Ballyedmond: millionaire killed in Norfolk helicopter crash was suing manufacturer over safety issues". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 15 March 2014.
- ^ "AAIB Bulletin 10/15: G-LBAL EW/C2014/03/02" (PDF). Air Accidents Investigation Branch. 8 October 2015. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
- ^ Morris-Gretton, Catherine. "Inquests open into deaths of four men killed in Gillingham helicopter crash". Eastern Daily Press. Archant. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 20 March 2014.
- ^ Kendall, Ben (15 January 2016). "Gillingham inquest: Helicopter crash ruled accidental". Eastern Daily Press. Archant. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
- ^ "Voice recordings from fatal Gillingham helicopter crash will remain confidential". Eastern Daily Press. Archant. 29 September 2016. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
External links
- Video of the crashed helicopter on YouTube