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The Nr Fairy
3rd Dec 2003, 03:36
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 (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/hampshire/dorset/3257236.stm)

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.


http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/39554000/gif/_39554844_hampshire_andover_map203.gif

Flying Lawyer
3rd Dec 2003, 04:20
I've been told, but this is unconfirmed:

The helicopter was from Fast Helicopters, and the two passengers were engineers;
It came down about half a mile from the Esseborne Manor Hotel at Hurstbourne Tarrant which may be familiar to some people because it has a helipad - no suggestion so far that it was intending to land at the pad.

I emphasise that this is from a single source and is unconfirmed.


Nr Fairy
If you e-mail me I'll tell you the name of the pilot, as told to me.
I won't post it here for obvious reasons.


Very sad.

odonnella
3rd Dec 2003, 04:36
I know it is speculation at the moment but anyone got any idea of cause and circumstance?

The Nr Fairy
3rd Dec 2003, 04:41
odonella:

Circumstances are as detailed in the report above, no further detail. Personally I'll be reading the accident report for the full details, with an inkling from the general press stories over the next few days and weeks.

gizmocat
3rd Dec 2003, 05:23
Well I live in Tidworth, (near Andover) and I heard the report when driving back from work this evening.

Nr Fairy, hope your fears aren't justified.

Grainger
3rd Dec 2003, 05:34
Nr, my thoughts are with you...

It's never good to hear this sort of news, but when it may be someone you know . . . . :(

quidam
3rd Dec 2003, 06:32
Also flown with FAST (at Thruxton and Shoreham).

A great bunch.

Not looking forward to thursday

Very sad news.

Glen Livid
3rd Dec 2003, 06:43
When you do the job you rarely think about the dangers, but it's on days like this you get a ghastly reminder of fatal accidents that have involved friends and colleagues in the past.

I spent three weeks at Fast over ten years ago and found it to be a most friendly and professional operator then, and I'm sure it is now. Often it is just rotten bad luck that causes accidents in helicopters, and I'm sure that the pilot of this one did their damnedest to try to save the machine and its occupants.

The real tragedy of any fatal accident is its affect on the lives of those left behind. We are all thinking of them now with the deepest sympathy.

overpitched
3rd Dec 2003, 07:17
Glen livid


I would have thought that most pilots think about the danger everytime they do a job. Unfortunately you can't cover all the bases. It is a sad jolt everytime someone close goes in. We've had too many in Aus this year. Just one more reason to stay on your game I guess.

Whirlygig
3rd Dec 2003, 15:18
BBC South this morning suggested engine trouble since witnesses report hearing strange engine noises.

My thoughts to the pilot's and passengers' family, friends and colleagues.

Findon 40
3rd Dec 2003, 15:27
To the family's & friends of those involved,my thought are with you all,a very sad day........:(

RIP Gentlemen

Heliport
3rd Dec 2003, 15:27
Whirlygig

Other witnesses report they heard "the engine stall" - it was a twin.

Someone else said "I looked up and saw the helicopter falling down nose-first with the rotor blades off. It was not on fire at that point and the blades were trailing 10-15ft behind."

Witness reports from members of the public, just like their estimates of height in other circumstances, always have to be treated with great caution.

Helinut
3rd Dec 2003, 18:48
I have an unofficial source that essentially confirms NRs worst fears, and also tells a story rather like the one Heliport has mentioned. The reported presence of engineers suggests it was some sort of engineering test flight perhaps.....

I know the guys at FAST - a great bunch.

A very sad time for all.

Tiger_mate
3rd Dec 2003, 20:14
http://www.fast-helicopters.co.uk/images/aircraft/AS355.jpg

Picture from the FAST website may be the aircraft.
Sad day: R.I.P.

rotorspeed
3rd Dec 2003, 22:16
Can't be the above aircraft - that's a 355N and I understand the accident heli was a 355F. Deepest sympathies to all involved.

engineoff
3rd Dec 2003, 22:17
Aircraft believed to be an F1 model : G XCEL...

The Nr Fairy
3rd Dec 2003, 22:19
The pilot of a helicopter that crashed killing three men was named today.

Former Army Air Corps pilot Ian Shoobridge from Durrington, Wiltshire, died with two engineers, who have not been named, when the Twin Squirrel chopper plunged to the ground on Tuesday afternoon near Hurstbourne Tarrant, Hants.

Mr Shoobridge’s employer Mike Green, manager and chief pilot of FAST Helicopters Ltd, based in Thruxton, Hants, said he and his team were “devastated” by the tragic loss of their colleague and the two engineers on board the helicopter that was operated by the company.

“Our sympathy goes out to the families and friends of the three men,” he said.

“We will be anxious to learn from the investigation exactly what caused the helicopter to fail in flight.

“The pilot, Captain Ian Shoobridge AFM, was an experienced, dedicated commercial pilot and instructor.

“As an ex-Army Air Corps pilot he had flown over 9,000 hours spanning a 25-year career with an unblemished safety record.

“He will be greatly missed by his friends and the industry as a whole.”

A statement issued by the company said the helicopter involved was one of the safest manufactured, with an exemplary history of reliability.

The company said it could make no further comment until the findings of the AAIB investigation were released.

A Hampshire Police spokesman said today the bodies of the men have been removed from the crash site, which is on isolated farmland.

Post mortem examinations are due to take place later today. The spokesman added that formal identification of the dead men would not take place until later today.

Air accident investigators are still at the crash site and police have been picking up debris from the helicopter which is strewn over a large area.

No indication of what could have caused the crash has been identified.
--------------------------------------------------

Link to the report (http://www.news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=2254911)

Tiger_mate:

I can't read the registration on that photo, but G-XCEL was the aircraft based at Thruxton, an AS355 F1.

My thoughts are with Ian's wife and daughter, his colleagues at FAST, and the family and colleagues at AeroMaritime of the two engineers also killed.

GroundGirl
3rd Dec 2003, 22:34
:{ A very very sad event - my heart goes out to all of those at FAST and the families of those involved. I know alot of the pilots and engineers at Thruxton and have been gutted by the news.

Special 25
3rd Dec 2003, 23:34
Sad news, my condolances to all. Here is a picture logged on the CAA G-Info database, just for interest and information.



http://uk.msnusers.com/dpf1hfvtp298ej75o3t0hldgf6/Documents/Pictures/g-xcel001.jpg

Bill O'Average
4th Dec 2003, 01:31
Very sad news.

Sympathies to the families.

Bill O'Average
4th Dec 2003, 01:36
Very sad news. Deepest condolences to Ian and the pax's families.

Brian Dixon
4th Dec 2003, 02:08
Didn't knnow any of the three, but that doens't matter.

My condolences to all affected by this tragedy.

RIP :(

Flying Lawyer
4th Dec 2003, 02:18
Very sad. My sympathy and condolences to the families, friends and colleagues of the three men who lost their lives.

Nr Fairy
Sorry you couldn't get through this morning. My phone was switched off because I was in court; I tried to call you back at lunchtime but got your voicemail.

I see the pilot's name has since been officially dislosed.
I was told who it was by a reliable source a couple of hours after the crash, but I'm sure you agree it wouldn't have been right to give it in my post yesterday before it was officially announced.
I thought mentioning Fast Helicopters and two engineers was as far as I could properly go in the circumstances.

Tudor

Autorotate
4th Dec 2003, 02:27
From those of us here in the land of the long white cloud, sincere condolences. Never knew Ian or the engineers but they were helicopter industry professionals and thats good enough.

RIP and may they be remembered always.

Autorotate. :(

MOSTAFA
4th Dec 2003, 03:01
Our thoughts are with you Sue and Laura. Shoo, rest in peace pal.

MightyGem
4th Dec 2003, 03:41
A very sad day indeed, having known Ian for nigh on 20 years.

One story that I will always remember, was back in the 80s at Middle Wallop, rehearsing for the Wallop Airshow mass helicopter approach (aka The Massed Airmiss). I was part of a section of 6 lynx with Ian as the section leader. At the time he was in the Blue Eagles and was resplendant in his Eagles flying suit.

Anyway, we used to park out in farmers fields waiting for our cue, and the CFI at the time was in the habit of flying round in a Skeeter "inspecting" his troops. After a couple of visits, it was decided to give him something to inspect. So, on his next arrival all 12 aircrew were smartly lined up to attention. As he approached, 11 of us did a smart about turn, dropped our flying suits and mooned him, while Ian took the salute. Those were the days.

Ian, rest in peace mate. Sue, Laura, I've never met you, but please accept my deepest sympathies.

:(

frequincyadaptor
4th Dec 2003, 05:27
it is always sad to here of such things
deepest condolences to all families and friends involved, our thoughts are with you
very sad day

ppheli
4th Dec 2003, 07:26
The Scotsman is carrying a story attributed to the Press Association at
http://www.news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=2256372

which names the engineers as James Gordon-Stables, 37, from Ludgershall, Hants, and Neville Moger, 45, from Romsey, Hants.

As many reading this will know, it was James' father John Gordon-Stables who founded Heliwork at Thruxton, now Aeromaritime. Sadly John passed away very recently from a brain tumour and I understand the funeral was only in the last few weeks. James had only recently moved back to the Thruxton area, having previously worked for two other UK maintenance organisations.

Neville used to be at Lippitts Hill with the Met Police, and moved to Thruxton a few years ago. Sadly, his wife died two years ago and I understand he leaves two children under the age of 10.

Very very sad.

This is a time to pray and reflect. Also, take some time on 25th to consider the three bereaved families then too.

Helipolarbear
4th Dec 2003, 08:45
My thoughts go out to all concerned. A very tragic event to three professional helicopter experts. I only knew James (and Father)
James was a fun guy and loved the biz as did his father.
They both worked in Ireland with Celtic Helicopters in the mid nighties, and James continued with Shannon Aerospace for some time. They all contributed to the industry in many positive ways and will surely be missed. RIP

2nd2none
4th Dec 2003, 11:11
Shoo,
Rest in Peace my friend, agreat loss to the industry.
Sue, Laura, please accept my deepest sympathies.
Phil H

Thomas coupling
4th Dec 2003, 15:34
RIP all three........................

StevieTerrier
4th Dec 2003, 17:37
Ian was a frequent and most welcome visitor to our Heliport a few years ago, often sitting for most of the day just shooting the breeze whilst waiting for his passengers.

A real gentleman, and a sad loss. Sincere condolences to the families of all three.

Low Ball
4th Dec 2003, 19:31
I served with Ian on many occassions, including GW1, he was an outstanding pilot, instructor and gentleman.

He will be missed by many in Army Aviation and a great loss to his family particularly at this time of year.

Low Ball

breakscrew
4th Dec 2003, 22:21
It is always sad when a helicopter crashes, but it is a tragedy when so many good guys are lost. Ian was one of the best and he will be sorely missed by all who knew him.

owe ver chute
4th Dec 2003, 22:56
I was deeply saddened at the tragic news of Ian and his passengers. My thoughts are with family and friends of those who perished in the accident.
I flew with Ian in the 90’s when he was part of Army Standards, he was part of the team who, at the time were fun to be “trapped” by. I don’t think that group of standards has been bettered since.
A sad loss.
OVC

cyclic
5th Dec 2003, 02:38
My heartfelt sympathy to all those left behind - there for the grace of God...

Brian Dixon
5th Dec 2003, 03:18
Sincere condolences to everyone affected by this terrible tragedy.

RIP :(

VeeAny
5th Dec 2003, 03:21
R.I.P.

Condolences to all the families.

V.

Flying Lawyer
5th Dec 2003, 04:20
In a statement by his family issued today it was revealed that Neville Moger’s wife Julie died in 2000 and his tragic death has orphaned the couple’s three sons Andrew, 16, Mathew, 13 and 12-year-old Paul.

Mr Moger, 45, joined the Army in 1975 working in the Royal Electrical Mechanical Engineers where he became a highly accomplished helicopter technician and reached the rank of sergeant, the statement said. He married in August 1980.

He served in various postings before leaving the Army in 1988 and has since worked for the Metropolitan Police and other private helicopter companies.

Mr Moger was a Christian and his family described him as “a selfless and loving man, who will be greatly missed by all his family and friends”.

As ppheli said above - This is a time to pray and reflect. It is. And when we do, remember to include the family of the B407 pilot who died in the GoM earlier this week in our prayers.

FL

gizmocat
5th Dec 2003, 07:14
The real and the virtual mix. It's a small world.

It affects us ALL (http://www.hovercontrol.com/cgi-bin/ib3/ikonboard.cgi?;act=ST;f=1;t=1368)

RIP
MB

ppheli
5th Dec 2003, 12:51
For completeness of this thread, the BBC have an article which gives more of the background (career/family) of the three guys (Neville Moger in particular) at

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/hampshire/dorset/3291853.stm

It corrects me on my previous report - Moger had three children, not two, and they were all over 10, not under 10. My apologies - I'm glad I've had this chance to correct that.

Pete O'Tewbe
6th Dec 2003, 23:51
Mrs O'Tewbe and I have just been to visit Sue and Laura this afternoon. Sue has asked me to post details of Ian's funeral. This will take place on 18 Dec 03 in the Garrison Church at Larkhill. At the moment it is timed to start at 1400 though this may be brought forward to 1300. I will confirm the time as soon as I know.

Requiescant in Pace

MPR
11th Dec 2003, 04:14
A a frequent visitor to Thruxton (as a spotter) I met & built up a rapport with Neville & Ian over the last couple of years. As fate deals its hand, I went to school with James & only bumped into him again a few months ago after his return to the area.

I cannot explain how bad tempered & ill mannered the helicopter industry is generally to "the enthusiast" - there are a few exceptions. These three men WERE part of the exception, willing to share thoughts & knowledge with me & take the time to chat about a common fascination with the helicopter.

Visiting Thruxton for the first time on Tuesday, a week after the crash, it seemed a very different & lonely place. One cannot imagine what loss is felt by the colleagues & families at this time.

As everyone else who knew them has said in this thread already, I can only echo my own personal thoughts. Ian, Neville & James were truely professional, genuinely kind men who will be sadly missed by many, many people.

May they rest in peace.

Mike Rice

Sayagain...?
11th Dec 2003, 04:29
...they did what they loved.

Grant them that. They died happy. As a helo pilot , what could be better.

You the family:...be strong. They would want you to be that way. Continue to be happy. They want you to be...

Pete O'Tewbe
11th Dec 2003, 15:17
Shoo's funeral is confirmed for Thursday 18 December 2003 in the Garrison Church at Larkhill commencing at 1300.

GroundGirl
12th Dec 2003, 20:37
The Daily Telegraph published an Obituary to Ian today.
Captain Ian Shoobridge

Captain Ian Shoobridge, who was killed in an air accident on December 2 aged 51, was one of the most gifted helicopter pilots of his generation.

In November 1981 Shoobridge was serving with the Army Air Corps in Northern Ireland when he was involved in an emergency evacuation of casualties. He was then a sergeant, and was coming to the end of a five-month tour with 654 Composite Squadron Army Air Corps in the province.

At 10pm on November 26, he was the captain of a Lynx helicopter on 24-hour duty at St Angelo, Enniskillen, when a report of a large explosion came in to the Operations Room.

A bomb had been detonated at the vehicle checkpoint at Mullinbridge in Fermanagh County, close to the border with the Irish Republic, injuring four soldiers and four civilians. The blast also destroyed telephone wires and radio masts, and no communication with the site of the incident was possible.

It was a dark night, with rain and snow showers, but Shoobridge decided to fly a six-man Airborne Reaction Force, together with a doctor and assistant, to the site of the explosion. As they approached the checkpoint, the weather deteriorated; and the situation was made more hazardous by high ground to the east and west and on the border to the south.

But Shoobridge, who had already completed five hours' flying duty that afternoon, continued the sortie, and managed to drop his passengers at the site.

Throughout this period it was impossible to make contact with the troops because of the damage to their radios and their state of shock. As the Reaction Force searched for casualties, the last of whom was found in a pigsty into which he had been thrown by the blast, Shoobridge continued to provide "nightsun" overhead with the powerful searchlight on his helicopter.

He picked up the casualties, and returned to St Angelo to refuel before flying on to Belfast. With the cloud base lowering, he had to climb into it, and he received radar, ground-controlled navigation to RAF Aldergrove.

There he broke cloud at 500ft, and followed the road at low level to deliver the most seriously injured man to Musgrave Park Hospital, where he had to undergo immediate surgery.

Shoobridge was awarded the Air Force Medal for his actions, the citation stating that he had proved himself an outstanding aviator whose calm and cool handling of the situation had made possible a very difficult casualty evacuation in deteriorating weather conditions.

Ian Shoobridge was born on August 21 1952 at Ashford, Kent, and educated at Tollington School, Muswell Hill, north London. In 1968 he enlisted in the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers at Arborfield, Berkshire, and the following year was posted to BAOR at Verden.

In 1972 he moved to the AAC Centre at Middle Wallop, Hampshire, and served as an aircraft technician with the Blue Eagles' Display Team. He attended a pilots' course in 1976 and, having got his wings the following year, he was attached to 658 Squadron AAC, part of 4 Regiment, at Minden, Germany. This posting included short tours in Northern Ireland and with the United Nations' forces in Cyprus.

Shoobridge's transfer to the Army Air Corps in 1980 was followed by postings to 654 Squadron AAC at Detmold, Germany, with intermittent tours to Northern Ireland. After a posting to 656 Squadron AAC at Netheravon, he attended the Central Flying School at Shawbury, near Telford, Shropshire, and in 1986 qualified as a helicopter instructor.

Returning to Middle Wallop, Shoobridge served as a QHI with Lynx Flight of 671 Operational Training Squadron. After the Blue Eagles were re-formed he served as a pilot with their display team.

In 1988 he was posted to 653 Squadron, part of 3 Regiment AAC, at Soest, Germany, and was commissioned the following year. While he was there, he went to 654 Squadron, part of 4 Regiment, in the Gulf, in the lead-up to the war, to train and qualify crews in the techniques of desert flying.

In 1991 Shoobridge joined the Aviation Standards Branch at AAC Centre, Middle Wallop, and retired from the Army in 1995. He then joined the South Western Electricity Board before moving to Quantel, part of the Carlton Television Group, as a corporate pilot.

Shoobridge joined Fast Helicopters, based at Thruxton Airfield, Hampshire, early in 2000 as a commercial pilot. On December 2 2003 he was piloting two engineers in a Twin Squirrel helicopter when it crashed into woodland north of Andover. There were no survivors. He had logged more than 9,000 flying hours in a career spanning 25 years and had an unblemished record.

A popular figure in the Wiltshire village where he lived, Shoobridge was an excellent cook and was highly proficient at DIY. He had a love-hate relationship with golf, at which his ambition was never quite realised in his performance. He did The Daily Telegraph crossword daily; wherever he was in the world, the newspaper was sent to him.

Ian Shoobridge married, in 1980, Susan Gospage, who survives him with their daughter.

zalt
19th Dec 2003, 01:06
My understanding is that G-XCEL was on its second test flight after a gearbox change.

DGAC issued an Emergency AD last week regarding free-wheel slippage, grounding any AS355 with a combiner gearbox that has had less than 10 hours since overhaul by EC.

http://213.30.153.174/GSAC/ad_cns.nsf/accueil_FR?OpenPage

Coincidence or connection?

The Nr Fairy
19th Dec 2003, 02:13
zalt:

Could you drop me an email or PM, please.

Daifly
19th Dec 2003, 04:43
zalt.

Really should wait until the professionals come up with a reason. Speculation like that is almost grounds for libel...

MOSTAFA
19th Dec 2003, 05:23
Ian, I think the turnout today only goes to show just how respected you were both in the military and in the civil world. A truly beautiful service. The village will certainly be a lesser place without you in it. Rest in Peace mate, till we all meet up again.

heliguy50
3rd Mar 2005, 21:45
Latest on Ian's accident. At the inquest held this week a verdict of 'Misadventure' was recorded. I am a little puzzled as to how his death can be recorded as 'bad luck', the aircraft crashed because something failed mechanically, someone made a mistake or have I got the wrong end of the stick!! I am haunted by Ian's presence, his 'mature blonde' hair and his ever pleasant demeanour. Still sadly missed 15 months on!!

The Nr Fairy
4th Mar 2005, 09:55
From "This Is Wiltshire", the online version of the Amesbury Journal:

Inquest hears of crash helicopter's fatal flaw

A HELICOPTER crash which killed a Durrington pilot and two of his colleagues was caused by the wrong coating on a crucial part of the gearbox, an inquest heard this week.

Captain Ian Shoobridge and engineers Neville Moger and James Gordon-Stables died when their Twin Squirrel helicopter came down during a test flight at Hurstbourne Tarrant, near Andover, on December 2, 2003.

Eyewitnesses described how the aircraft made a "grinding and screaming sound" before it hit the ground and burst into flames.

Resident David Pykett told the inquest: "The tail boom had fractured but folded around the fuselage and it spun into some trees."

The emergency services were at the scene within minutes, but married father-of-one Mr Shoobridge (51), Mr Moger (45), from Romsey, and Mr Gordon-Stables (37), from Ludgershall, had been killed by the force of the impact.

The jury at the inquest in the Hampshire Centre Court Hotel, Basingstoke, heard that Mr Shoobridge had flown helicopters for more than 25 years and received the Air Force Medal after serving in Germany, the Falklands and Ireland.

He was on a test flight from Thruxton airfield after the helicopter's gearbox had been sent away to French engineering company Eurocopter for maintenance.

Mr Moger and Mr Gordon-Stables had put the aircraft back together and were described as "fastidious and methodical" in their work.

An initial test flight earlier in the afternoon went smoothly, apart from a slight mismatch in the engine power, but the second flight ended in tragedy.

The Air Accident Investigation Branch immediately launched an inquiry.

Six days after the accident, Eurocopter issued an emergency telex after five incidents, including a heavy landing and the Hurstbourne Tarrant crash.

The AAIB discovered that Eurocopter had changed its production techniques and instructed German company FAG, which produced the rollers used in the gearboxes, to add the coating which was designed to prevent slippage.

However, instead of using the required zinc phosphate, the company applied a manganese phosphate coating, which the AAIB say caused the freewheel in the gearbox to slip more easily and put additional pressure on the engines.

"Manganese has the opposite effect to zinc and increased the slippage," said Steve Moss from the AAIB.

"It appears, on this flight, the engine suddenly re-engaged.

"This re-engagement lead to the break up of the helicopter - it twisted, the tail boom fractured causing it to pitch and tear out the gearbox.

"Such an event is non-survivable."

The jury was told that lab tests had shown no difference in the performance of the two coatings but AAIB operations investigator Nicholas Dann said the accident was not caused by an operational error.

"No evidence has been found of operational failure or pilot mishandling," he said.

As the Journal went to press, the inquest was ongoing and coroner Andrew Bradley said it was expected to last three or four days.

Available online at http://www.thisiswiltshire.co.uk/wiltshire/amesbury/news/AMES_NEWS0.html

Head Turner
4th Mar 2005, 12:39
It is my belief that we all appreciate the professionalism of the AAIB and the CAA who have the mandate to investigate these tragic events so that we who continue to fly and maintain these machines are better briefed and wiser.
That we learn from this is our fundamental duty, so those pre-flights, after-flight inspections, strip and rebuilds, writing and checking maintenance manuals, adhering to instructions and more is so very important.
I knew Shoo very well and miss him like everyone does.
The verdict was realistic!

heliguy50
4th Mar 2005, 14:24
I have every confidence in the AAIB and the CAA regarding accident investigating, very professional lot. My question is why did Eurocopter not let all operators and maintainers know when the first incident occured. It was an airworthiness issue and we should all have been warned as soon as possible, granted there probably wasn't much anyone could have done but forewarned is forearmed. As an engineer I realise how much trust I put in the manufacturer that they have got it right and how much trust pilots put in engineers that we have got it right. It is worrying when a manufacturer withholds vital information from us all.

The Nr Fairy
13th Jul 2006, 08:13
The accident report is now available at http://www.aaib.dft.gov.uk/sites/aaib/publications/bulletins/july_2006/as355f1__g_xcel.cfm.

In short - although this would be no surprise to those close to Shoo, FAST and Aeromaritime - a mechanical problem, whose cause cannot be agreed between Eurocopter and the manufacturer of the freewheel units, appears to have caused a fatal crash resulting in the deaths of 3 people, the widowing of 2 partners, the loss of a parent for Shoo's, and James' children, the orphaning of Neville's children, and a big hole in the lives of those left to remember them all.

Heliport
13th Jul 2006, 11:46
I notice some people referring to accident investigations by the AAIB and CAA.

Aviation accidents are investigated by the AAIB, not the CAA.
The AAIB is completely separate from and independent of the CAA.

The AAIB may make safety recommendations designed to prevent recurrence of an accident.
The CAA is not bound to implement them.







Heliport

sox6
13th Jul 2006, 12:39
Daifly - clearly some people don't know when things are close to the mark. Has the lawyer from Blue Marine been in touch yet?

The Nr Fairy
13th Jul 2006, 18:35
sox6:

Could you either explain that in clear English, or delete your post ?