From BBC News:
Three dead in helicopter crash
Three men have been killed in a civilian helicopter crash near a village in Hampshire.
The pilot and two passengers were killed in the twin squirrel helicopter which crashed head first into the ground at Doiley Woods, near Hurstbourne Tarrant, north of Andover.
A member of the public reported the accident in a field near the Essebourne Manor Hotel at about 1438 GMT on Tuesday.
The helicopter had left Thruxton airfield.
Three ambulance crews arrived at the scene, along with fire crews to find the small aircraft well alight.
A Hampshire Ambulance spokesman said: "We responded to a call at 14.34 to reports of a helicopter crash in a field at Doiley Woods, near Hurstbourne Tarrant in Hampshire.
"The crew arrived eight minutes later to find that a helicopter had crashed upside down in the field and had burst into flames."
Hampshire ambulance paramedic Tim Jones, who is based in Andover, was one of the first emergency service personnel on the scene.
He said: "When we arrived the helicopter was completely engulfed in flames. We had to stand by while the firefighters came to put out the flames.
"We then went to check for signs of life but obviously there were none which was very frustrating for us.
He added: "The helicopter came down at the edge of a wood and the front part was embedded in the ground.
A police spokesman said the dead men may not be formally identified until Thursday.
Full report
I fly from FAST, at Thruxton. As of writing (2/12/03 20:30) no names have yet been released, but other reports suggest it was based at Thruxton. If that's true, then it's highly likely one at least of the casualties is one of the regular pilots. I'll update the thread with news as and when.
