The bottom line kinda sums it up Anyway, here is the loose translation of the synopsis (like the summary on an AAIB) if you really want to know.
"Four pilots and their passengers leave on board a R 44 and three R 22's for a trip (VFR) Denham (the United Kingdom) bound for Ajaccio in Corsica. The crews fly under VFR flight rules under a flight plan of Denham to Amiens, then continue without a flight plan.
After a stopover with Albert (80mins) for fuelling, the R 44 takes off the first towards 145 pm to join the Gigny-on-Saone (71). Its pilot indicates that it arrived at the Trawl-net-on-Saone to refuel at 3.40 pm without seeing bad weather conditions out of VFR.
He took the same road appreciably that the other helicopters will follow thereafter. At Worms 14. 00hrs, the three helicopters R 22 take off in their turn of Albert, adopting between them a formation called "out of rafter", carried out by a helicopter indicated A (on the diagram, not translatable), G-YKEN and another helicopter indicated B occupying the two rear positions.
The pilots communicate between them on VHF, the freq of which they allotted arbitrarily (ie not safetycom, most likely 123.45).
Arriving in the area of Semur-in-Auxois (21), the weather conditions, in particular the cloud ceiling, did not make it possible to continue their planned transit altitude.
The pilots descend to maintain flying conditions VFR and decide to change the type of formation of flight and form themselves in column. G-YKEN is then the last of the formation. The pilots maintain their decision to press on to their planned stopover of the evening.
While the helicopters fly over wood covered hills, the weather conditions are getting worse. The pilot of helicopter A (indicated) that at this time, said the visibility did not exceed twenty meters. The helicopters fly very slowly. The pilots decide to make half-turn and go back.
Towards 4 25hrs, the pilot of the R 22 "B", having made an about turn, is in a valley. Meanwhile the two other helicopters are operating at a walking pace and close to the countours (ground??), the pilot of G-YKEN announces that he cannot see anything any more and that he is flying in cloud.
The others control lose the radio operator contact with G-YKEN. They start a search with the participation of the R 44 in the area of the accident after having heard on the radio the difficulties encountered by the other helicopter.
The wreck of G-YKEN is found in the forest.
The people on board died."
Last edited by helicopter-redeye; 29th Sep 2005 at 19:08.