In April 1998 a R44, G-POWE went down claiming the lives of its pilot and three passengers. The accident left three young children orphaned.
Here is the link to the AAIB report:
https://assets.publishing.service.go...pdf_502209.pdf
Of particular note is the Parliamentary debate of this tragedy, below.
"Westminster Hall
Tuesday 8 May 2001
[Mrs. Sylvia Heal in the Chair]
Light Aircraft Insurance and Regulation
Motion made, and Question proposed, That the sitting be now adjourned.--[Mr. Hill.]
9.30 am
Mr. David Tredinnick (Bosworth): I am grateful for the opportunity to raise the important subject of helicopter and light aircraft insurance and regulation. I look forward to hearing the reply of the Under-Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, not least because all the information at my disposal has been put at his disposal, so that he can give an informed response. I shall be focusing on a particular tragic accident in Leicestershire just over three years ago, when a helicopter crashed killing all on board."
The full text is at :
https://publications.parliament.uk/p...t/10508h01.htm
Here are a few extracts:
"In the Linhart case in Leicestershire, the pilot, Coulter, seems to have been seriously irresponsible in many respects, and my constituents were the innocent victims. I understand that when the coroner announced the verdict of accidental death, those present at the inquiry gasped in astonishment.
Coulter had hired the helicopter from a local company, Heli Air Ltd., on a self-fly, hire-only basis. As such, he was neither allowed nor qualified to give instruction to others, yet it emerged during the coroner's inquiry that he had offered shares in the helicopter and had received more than £3,400 from various sources, including Mr. Andrew Byrne, who paid £3,400 in cash, which was receipted. In return, those who had paid received a part share in the aircraft or helicopter, as well as instruction from Coulter. Although it is accepted practice for pilots to take petrol money, that does not seem to be the case in this instance. Mr. Coulter, under the name Helitravel Ltd., advertised services of sales-hire-charter-pilot training through local leaflet drops. He was, therefore, flouting the rules, just as he went on to do at the controls of the helicopter when he took off at night in breach of regulations."
I wouldn`t be at all surprised if this particular tragedy does not come up in another parliamentary debate.