G-ATSJ
Ah well, how swiftly one forgets! T'was only a year ago since (on the Nostalgia Thread) we were discussing G-ATSJ (pages
19 and
34).
She was of course bought from BEAS by the inimitable Tommy Sopwith (in 1966) and sold to Alan Mann in 1968. Freddie Wilcox also seems to have had a hand in brokering the sale between SJ's next owner (Sunderland Print) and her final owner, Robert Ryan.
G-ATSJ met with her demise in June 1977 when, according to the
report:
ON APPROACH, AT ABOUT 3FT AGL, THE HELICOPTER BEGAN TO DRIFT TO THE RIGHT. THE PILOT 'OVERPITCHED', THE RIGHT WHEEL TOUCHED THE GROUND & THE HELICOPTER OVERTURNED. (AIB BULLETIN 8/77). CAA CLOSURE: POSSIBLE CONTRIBUTARY FACTORS MENTIONED BY PILOT WERE HIGH AMBIENT TEMP, HIGH ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE, HIGH HUMIDITY & HIGH A/D ELEVATION (950FT AMSL).
Reading the 'contributary factors' cited by the driver, one could be excused for thinking he was flying in Malaya!