talkpedlar
10th Nov 2011, 08:03
..published today (usual AAIB 'site). Impact barely 100' below crest, GPWS installed but not switched on since 2009, pretty foul wx and most likely CFIT. Very sad..top man IMHO
Stuart Sutcliffe
10th Nov 2011, 16:07
Just in case anyone else is wondering, the pilot was ex-UK military and the accident (23 October 2010) report is here: Air Accidents Investigation: Agusta A109A II, N2NR (http://www.aaib.gov.uk/publications/bulletins/november_2011/agusta_a109a_ii__n2nr.cfm)
The pilot started flying training in the Army in 1970 and graduated as a helicopter pilot in February 1971. During his Army service he was a squadron pilot and became a Qualified Helicopter Instructor (QHI). He transferred to the Royal Air Force (RAF) in September 1985 and became a squadron QHI on the Puma helicopter. He served in Northern Ireland in both the Army and the RAF and was familiar with the area of the Mourne Mountains. He left the RAF in January 1999 and flew as a commercial pilot, before rejoining the RAF for two years, leaving in January 2006. His last flight in Northern Ireland had been in April 2004 and after leaving the RAF he flew commercially, both as an instructor and charter pilot.
[Note: The AAIB page in the link above states accident date 20 Oct 2010, whilst the text of the report states 23 Oct 2010]