R22 Wellesbourne Crash

[copterkid]

Rumours of R22 crash this afternoon at wellesbourne Stratford, pos Tiger Helicopters. Any info?

Hope all partys involved ok.

[CRAN]

BBC Midlands Today reported 2-seat helicopter crashed in Warwickshire killing the sole occupant. No mention of type, but I assume it's an R22.

Another sad day.

CRAN

[360BakTrak]

Does anyone know if it was G-RNGO?

[jon01]

It was R-22 G-TGRR routing from Wellesbourne to Shobdon, no 'Mayday'

Sole occupant was killed.

Jon

[CRAN]

Man killed in helicopter accident
---------------------------------

A man has died in a helicopter crash near Stratford-on-Avon.
Warwickshire Police say the two-person helicopter was seen dropping rapidly before crashing into a field by the A3400 near the town of Bearley.

Air ambulance and the police were called to the scene on Thursday afternoon. The victim was the only person on board.

Relatives of the victim, who is not thought to be from the area, are being informed.

Police believe the helicopter was making a journey between Herefordshire and Wellesbourne in Stratford-on-Avon.

Air accident investigators are trying to establish the cause of the crash.

CRAN

[Whirlygig]

Was at Wellesbourne this afternoon for a refuelling stop. Heard the aircraft on the radio departing the airfield for Shobdon. The weather was bad and closing in.

My condolences to family and friends.

Whirlygig

[Bravo 99 (AJB)]

For personal reasons could I ask all P-Prunes to refrain from to many comments on this untill the occupants parties have been informed.

please guys a few days is all that is asked.

RIP to all concerned


B99

[moggiee]

According to the BBC news - one on board killed plus one on the ground.

[Arkroyal]

For those too bored to search it's here (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/coventry_warwickshire/4004845.stm)

[matspart3]

BBC reporting a(nother?) helicopter crash near Droitwich today (Friday) no further details....

Hopefully it's the same incident

[360BakTrak]

Today it was a Gloucester based Enstrom 480 landing at Droitwich, landed hard severing the tail then rolled several times finishing on its roof. All 3 occupants apparently OK but taken to hospital for observation.
Lets hope these things don't come in threes.......a lucky escape today.

[HeliEng]

Has anyone got any further details on the Droitwich accident? Pilot etc....

Thanks


Helieng

[Bravo Mike Kilo]

The aircraft was an Enstrom 480, N480DS owned & piloted by a local (Cheltenham) chap, a good friend and fellow flyer. An experienced and diligent pilot with whom I've flown many times in the (his) Enstrom and various H500s. Spoke with pilot Friday evening who was shaken but not injured. His pax was likewise.

Bravo Mike Kilo - Cheltenham

[Gaseous]

As an interested observer of accident stats, the fact that the crew walked away from the Enstrom wreck is significant. Today I got a brief description of the damage to N480DS and it is surprising that they survived at all. These are tough helicopters.

Edit (I just saw Peter Bs thread on crashworthyness. this should be there really.)

I also heard a feint rumour that 2 people were recovered from TGRR. I hope this is wrong. Anyone have any hard facts?

RIP.

[360BakTrak]

An engineer on the ground at Droitwich saw the Enstrom go down and from what he said the crew are incredibly lucky to have escaped with only minor injury...............

[pilotwolf]

gaseous

the fact that the crew walked away from the Enstrom wreck is significant

Why? How can you say that without any reports, (other than media ones), on the accidents? Or maybe you have inside info?

Maybe the R22 pilot couldn't 'fly' the machine to the ground while the Enstrom guy could.... MAYBE the R22 pilot was u/c before the machine headed downwards? Maybe it was a complete mechanical failure?

Do you know why the 480 went down? Maybe his emergency was a lot more simple and therefore survivable... not that I m trying to take anything away from his flying skills.

Let's wait for the AAIB reports...

PW

[360BakTrak]

...because it hit the deck very hard and broke up into several pieces........thats probably why. Something to do with landing with a 20 knot tailwind and still having some forward airspeed.

[pilotwolf]

360baktak

..which machine?

Also while not the quite the same I ve seen massive damage to cars and no injuries but simple wrecks and the occupants are dead.

The mechanism of trauma are strange and difficult to predict.

As said the R22 maybe simply have been an unrecoverable mechanical failure and the pilot became simply a passenger... :(

RIP... :(

PW

[360BakTrak]

The enstrom.....either way, to end up in a wrecked airframe on the deck and walk away whatever the circumstances you're very lucky, imho.

[Gaseous]

PW
The significance of the Enstrom crash is that the passenger comparment survived a very hard landing, loss of tail and landing gear, rolling over a couple of times, and ending up upside down without hurting anyone. I think that is pretty significant and a potential explanation of the perception that Enstroms are tough. Inside information? not really. My engineer knows those involved and confirmed the details already posted here. I do know the circumstances leading to the crash but did not mention them or pass any comment about the pilot. I'm just glad he is OK.

I made no reference to the R22 accident other than to check if there were 2 on board. Agreed - wait for AAIB.

[Camp Freddie]

Definitely 1 on board

reliable source

CF

[pilotwolf]

gaseous

survived a very hard landing, loss of tail and landing gear, rolling over a couple of times, and ending up upside down that's what I meant by inside info!

Bigger cabin = more metal to fold up before pax meet ground?
Heavier/more powerful machine = stronger construction?
4 point harnesses(?) versus diagonal/lap strap?

PW

[Bravo 99 (AJB)]

I can Confirm allong with C/F that there way only one on board the R22 at Wellesbourne.

I would also suggest that it would be prudent when incidents that have fatal injuries associated with them. speculation and rumor is best kept to ones self and not posted on an open forum.

Blogs and co in the general public have a nasty way of turning someones sorrow into cash.

Back on the side

Sincerely
B99

[360BakTrak]

....prudent to do what?........:confused:

[Gaseous]

AJB.

Shortly after this tragedy, the press were reporting one on board. Someone in the industry told me there were 2.

There was also Moggies post.

Quote "According to the BBC news - one on board killed plus one on the ground."

There was clearly some doubt.


Is it unreasonable to use this forum to check if the press are correct? Initial reports are often incomplete or wrong and details gradually filter out over a period of time. In this case my source was wrong as was that BBC report which was subsequently changed. I cannot see how that could be used in any legal way or add to the suffering of the bereaved.

If it has, I am sorry.

[cleartail]

More info: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/coventry_warwickshire/4009265.stm

[Whirlybird]

I heard over at Tatenhill that a solo student flew from Shobdon to Wellesbourne, then didn't like the weather. An instructor flew over with a PPL in another R22, and took the student back. The PPL took off in the other helicopter and crashed. The weather was apparently pretty awful.

I've heard this from two separate sources, so it's probably roughly correct, though of course I can't be certain. It could explain the confusion over whether there were one or two people aboard.

I'm posting this to hopefully clear up confusion, not speculate as to causes etc.

[Droopystop]

I never believe more than a word or two in press reports. Even the Beeb get things wrong. On more than one occasion I have been involved in an incident and later watching the news wondered if I was really there.

Condollences to friends and family.