Westland Scout remains in a Hong Kong film studio

[kluge]

I came across the remains of the above last year.
The airframe is stripped and there are no markings anywhere.

Is it possible to identify which helicopter this is and find its history ?

[chris keeping]

Kluge, I can't provide you with a detailed history of this ex AAC 660 Squadron Scout, but it met it's demise when taking off from Crest Hill heli landing site, one of several on the Border, around about 1985 if my memory serves me correctly. I believe it suffered an engine failure shortly after lift off and rolled down the mountain. Unfortunately an army major who was a passenger was killed in the ensuing crash. The remains landed up in a vehicle scrapyard on the Shataukok road for some years and then vanished, maybe to your film studio set.

[diginagain]

If this is the incident I'm thinking of, rather than an engine failure the pilot tried to lift off without having fully opened the throttle.

As you say, ck, a passenger sadly lost his life in the ensuing tumble down the hillside.

[kluge]

Thx chaps.
A sad story.

[David Eyre]

Hi there,

I had a quick look through the UK Serials website and found these possible candidates:

F9488 XP887 Scout AH1 d/d 01/05/1963, scrapped Sek Kong 1994
F9495 XP894 Scout AH1 d/d 01/05/1963, scrapped Sek Kong 1994
F9620 XT614 Scout AH1 f/f 18/10/1965, d/d 22/11/1965, scr. Sek Kong 11/1993
F9624 XT618 Scout AH1 d/d 06/12/1965, scr. Sek Kong 11/1993
F9633 XT627 Scout AH1 d/d 23/03/1966, scr. Sek Kong 11/1993
F9634 XT628 Scout AH1 d/d 29/04/1966, scr. Sek Kong 11/1993
F9710 XV135 Scout AH1 Scr. Far East 1980's
F9760 XW797 Scout AH1 Scr. Sek Kong 11/1993

F9507 XP906 Scout AH1 d/d 03/10/1963, w/o 12/03/1985

Regards,
David

[Sloppy Link]

I remember this as I was new to Aviation at the time. I am fairly certain the pilot did try to take off with the throttle not fully wound on but someone had tampered with the thing before the BoI got to it soit was never conclusively proved. The Pilot survived, can't remember his name but he was famous because he managed to complete the Pilots course after having one leg amputated half way through.....disease or traffic accident, I can't remember which.

[Load Toad]

I know a few people in the filum industry in HK. If you remember where it was located I could ask if it is possible to get photographs of it or such. Can't promise anything obviously.

[kluge]

Film studio was off Ho Chung Road, which is left off Hiram's Highway as you are driving North and across from Marina Cove.

Google Earth coordinates are:

22 21 11.32N
114 14 23.29E

On the southern side of the "triangle" you will see what look like a collection of trucks/containers. It was here where I saw the wreckage about 18 mnths ago at a biker meet.

[Load Toad]

I'll ask about - if they can find it (and I'm not sure they can or will) - do you want a photo or...?

[kluge]

If possible, posting a photo on this thread would be nice. Thank you.

[Load Toad]

OK matey - I'll ask about but it may take me a couple of weeks cos I'm going into Dirtland on business for a bit.

[kluge]

"Dirtland" - haven't heard that before. Where is that, up norf ?

[Load Toad]

Aye - just north of the Darkside you go over the border into Dirtland.

[palatialvilla]

Yeah, I know this is several years down the line from the original post, but the Pilots name was Captain Alan Wordie. The first attending personel to the accident site, (without perhaps thinking too well on seing the destruction) "possibly wound the throttle on", intimating that it was not fully wound on after take off. Not sure what the investigation came to as a conclusion for the accident, but rumour at the time was that the cab took off and proceeded off the peak of the hill. For some reaon when it left the ground effect cushion generated by the rotors there wasn't enough lift generated to keep it in the hover/forward flight and it lost lift, shot off down the valley and came to a rest. 1 pax dead, I believe he was a Major in the Intelligence Corps. Another pax was the new Commander British Forces Hong Kong (I think). The aircrewman tried to administer 1st aid to the Major but proved difficult or already dead as he had been thrown out of the cab and was trapped under the skid. Yes the Captain did only have one leg. I had flown with him on several occasions in HK prior to the accident and he was very professional, a good pilot, and I personally had no doubts as to his flying ability. I have no idea what his career path was after this, we're talking 1984/5 ish here. I do have some photo's of the wreckage when recovered to Sek Kong.
As an aside, in about 1986/7 maybe even 1988, Several (I believe 10) Scout helicopters were taken out from mothballs in the UK to HK and the old cabs were scrapped. The one you saw at the film studios may possibly have been one of those.

[MReyn24050]

The aircraft was XP906 and the accident happened on the 12 March 1985. Maj Richard Balkwill, Royal Artillery, was killed and three others injured. The airframe was reported to have been subsequently disposed of on the Sek Kong fire dump.