R44 down "Loch Long"
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Helicopter crashes into Loch Long as pilot searches for missing boat - The Daily Record
Helicopter crashes into Loch Long as pilot searches for missing boat
Jun 1 2010
A PILOT has escaped serious injury after his helicopter crashed into a loch while he was searching for his missing cabin cruiser.
The boat had allegedly been taken from its mooring near Ardgartan on Loch Long in Argyll during the night by someone staying at a nearby campsite.
Its owner went up in his helicopter to look for his boat but was forced to ditch in the water at around 9.10am.
The pilot managed to swim ashore, while the aircraft sank. No-one else was on board.
Meanwhile, a member of the public had spotted the motorboat drifting on Loch Long. Investigators found a man "asleep" on board the vessel, which was towed back to shore.
The man, who had been reported missing from a local campsite at around 7am, was arrested in connection with the alleged theft of a boat.
Clyde Coastguard was involved in the search for the missing vessel.
A spokesman said: "We started searching and put teams out but it was spotted by someone else. It had not gone very far.
"The man that owns it owns his own helicopter and went looking for it and ended up ditching into the loch but he managed to get out and swim ashore."
It is not yet known why the helicopter was forced to ditch in the loch.
A Strathclyde Police spokesman said: "At around 7am this morning police received a report that a man was missing from a campsite near Ardgartan.
"It's believed he may have taken a motorboat and gone out on to the loch at around 2am.
"It's believed the pilot of the helicopter was the owner of the boat which had allegedly been taken by the missing man.
"The pilot was not seriously injured and did not require hospital treatment."
Jun 1 2010
A PILOT has escaped serious injury after his helicopter crashed into a loch while he was searching for his missing cabin cruiser.
The boat had allegedly been taken from its mooring near Ardgartan on Loch Long in Argyll during the night by someone staying at a nearby campsite.
Its owner went up in his helicopter to look for his boat but was forced to ditch in the water at around 9.10am.
The pilot managed to swim ashore, while the aircraft sank. No-one else was on board.
Meanwhile, a member of the public had spotted the motorboat drifting on Loch Long. Investigators found a man "asleep" on board the vessel, which was towed back to shore.
The man, who had been reported missing from a local campsite at around 7am, was arrested in connection with the alleged theft of a boat.
Clyde Coastguard was involved in the search for the missing vessel.
A spokesman said: "We started searching and put teams out but it was spotted by someone else. It had not gone very far.
"The man that owns it owns his own helicopter and went looking for it and ended up ditching into the loch but he managed to get out and swim ashore."
It is not yet known why the helicopter was forced to ditch in the loch.
A Strathclyde Police spokesman said: "At around 7am this morning police received a report that a man was missing from a campsite near Ardgartan.
"It's believed he may have taken a motorboat and gone out on to the loch at around 2am.
"It's believed the pilot of the helicopter was the owner of the boat which had allegedly been taken by the missing man.
"The pilot was not seriously injured and did not require hospital treatment."
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Nice to know he's ok but maybe he should have called for us...? That's what we are there for after all. Police 51 
Last edited by CyclicRick; 1st Jun 2010 at 14:00. Reason: Omition
And you would know that how...? Considering one of your earlier posts was
If the weather was out of limits for Police 51 then should this guy have been up and about?
Speedy recovery to him. At least he got his boat back.
Any news on the new Strathclyde Police machine. Has it arrived yet?
Speedy recovery to him. At least he got his boat back.
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I was down at the heliport to take some pictures on a day out but the weather was rubbish. So I looked up the POAM on the CAA website on my iPhone to check the weather limits and concluded there would be no flying this morning based on my observations of visibility and cloudbase.
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jivusajob would you stop giving your spotter observations in this thread. Some poor sod has lost two of his favourite possessions and you sit there giving your pathetic armchair analysis.
If he was clear of cloud (at least 1,500 horizontally), in sight of surface and had a flight visibility of at least 1,500m then everything is fine.
Now with the greatest of respect shut up unless you're going to contribute well to this thread.
If he was clear of cloud (at least 1,500 horizontally), in sight of surface and had a flight visibility of at least 1,500m then everything is fine.
Now with the greatest of respect shut up unless you're going to contribute well to this thread.
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I know the full story and weather was not a factor....so please do not speculate. The weather was not too good but had not stopped the 60 mile transit to get to the loch.
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R44 down "Loch Long"
If Police 51 unable to fly from Glasgow,,,,,why,,,,would anyone think that up Loch Long it would have been any better? As a professional,the weather conditions form a huge part of my flying preparation, "before" i take off.
I see and hear of too many people, take off and check the weather as they fly.
While limitations are there for good reason,,,the limits may well be below the minimum limits en route and i'd bet, we all know people who have fell foul of bad weather conditions!
Some have lived to tell the tale and some,,,,,,,have not!
Does anyone know what type aircraft it was?
HJ
I see and hear of too many people, take off and check the weather as they fly.
While limitations are there for good reason,,,the limits may well be below the minimum limits en route and i'd bet, we all know people who have fell foul of bad weather conditions!
Some have lived to tell the tale and some,,,,,,,have not!Does anyone know what type aircraft it was?
HJ
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Loch Long is accessible from the River Clyde and the Police helicopter is based at the Clyde heliport. I'm not sure of the sequence of events this morning, but I am pretty sure Police 51 would have routed along the river had they been given a "shout".
I haven't heard which aircraft was involved yet but I know a few that it wasn't !
The main thing is that the pilot is okay, it could have been a lot worse.
I haven't heard which aircraft was involved yet but I know a few that it wasn't !
The main thing is that the pilot is okay, it could have been a lot worse.
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Hi HJ
Robinson R44 apparently and in fact I'm sure "Police 51" was on Glasgow Radar frequency earlier today when I was flying inbound in a trusty Flybe Dash 8! I may have misheard though. I guess jivusajob to be a spotter with no solid clue.
Weather wasn't exactly CAVOK but I'm not one to speculate .... Loch Long probably has its own microclimate.
SHG
Robinson R44 apparently and in fact I'm sure "Police 51" was on Glasgow Radar frequency earlier today when I was flying inbound in a trusty Flybe Dash 8! I may have misheard though. I guess jivusajob to be a spotter with no solid clue.
Weather wasn't exactly CAVOK but I'm not one to speculate .... Loch Long probably has its own microclimate.
SHG
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Hey SHG,
Loch Long, Mountains on ether side,,low temps,,lots moisture from the Loch ! I also, have no idea of the weather at Loch Long this morning but could hazard a guess it wouldn't be suitable for a picnic in a R44 !
Good news is pilot is ok. I hope others may look at this and consider weather before flying in the future. I note the pilot flew from a business appointment in Edinburgh,,,was the Edinburgh weather better than Glasgow?
Where did you get the info on the aircraft type? Is there a reg?
HJ
Loch Long, Mountains on ether side,,low temps,,lots moisture from the Loch ! I also, have no idea of the weather at Loch Long this morning but could hazard a guess it wouldn't be suitable for a picnic in a R44 !
Good news is pilot is ok. I hope others may look at this and consider weather before flying in the future. I note the pilot flew from a business appointment in Edinburgh,,,was the Edinburgh weather better than Glasgow?
Where did you get the info on the aircraft type? Is there a reg?
HJ
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Well jivusajob...you've been rumbled.... a spotter !
We've had this senario before, R44 crash, both the Police AND the Air Ambulance couldn't get there because of the weather....just how bad does it have to be before you walk back into the hangar and put the kettle on?
We've had this senario before, R44 crash, both the Police AND the Air Ambulance couldn't get there because of the weather....just how bad does it have to be before you walk back into the hangar and put the kettle on?
Last edited by CyclicRick; 1st Jun 2010 at 20:36. Reason: Typo...sorry I was laughing at the time!!
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fisbangwallop
As everyone who knows you, should know,,,,in the job you do,,,your info will always be correct. Keep up the good work down there and remember to be nice to Longrangers from Edinburgh.
