Hi - As you suggest in a case like this one would hope that between the crew and the manufacturer there might have been a plan to operate this machine in the best possible way, which includes what the expectation was of the sorties being flown.
There are very many wealth people and some even own aircraft of far greater value than an AW139, I suggest that nobody flying around in a private BBJ is attempting to get into (and I’m being silly to make the point) Fenland for example! So it does seem that in some cases this type of person can be controlled.
I don’t know what the background is with this owner and the way he operates his aircraft, it does seem that there is a story but as you can see from this thread discussion has been closed down. I don’t know why and when I asked Senior Pilot he said he didn’t know either.
There is this defensive attitude, from many, that attaches itself to these types of event typically behind a veil of concern for family reading comments or out of a desire to respect a fellow aviator and the dead. That is seen as noble, and in a way it is, but it is also sensible to be able to discuss potential issues.
What’s the solution? Well waiting for an AAIB report will clarify if the issues are real or if I am barking up a wrong tree. However if not isn’t it amazing how people just don’t get involved. Potentially you’ve had a 4 ton machine landing in someone’s garden, transporting a member of parliament and key man in a large corporate body having already gone through a sales process with a major helicopter manufacturer and crewed by two commercial pilots if the conversation wasn’t had then just wow.
Edited to add: His company Norbrook has on its board a Sir Roy McNulty who is also on the Chairman of Gatwick airport so aviation is very much around these people... And S76... why not speak out about the "wealthy chairman"?? just like how someone was reluctant weeks ago to talk about David Richards accident in his 109...