R44 down Doncaster ??
Joined: Mar 2011
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From: London/Atlanta
Accidents that involve people or businesses you know are REALLY hard to accept, speculation and other comments come with that and might seem harsh and sometimes very critical but ultimately the people on this forum have a genuine care and rarely proportion blame directly.
Joined: Jul 2001
Aviation Qualifications: ATPL(H)
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From: UK
This thread is incredibly quiet; I’m puzzled…..
Is it because it’s ‘just another Robinson’ that’s crashed?
There’s some pretty good footage on-line showing the accident site so I’m a little confused why there’s so little keyboard traffic apart from some potentially spurious interest in the height read out on FR24.
Is it because it’s ‘just another Robinson’ that’s crashed?
There’s some pretty good footage on-line showing the accident site so I’m a little confused why there’s so little keyboard traffic apart from some potentially spurious interest in the height read out on FR24.
Guest
Joined: Jul 2017
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From: UK
This is purely speculation and not based on ANY fact, but I would bet on something going wrong with the approach/landing (eg overpitching/not enough power) as oppose to an engine failure.
Joined: Sep 2003
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From: Redding CA, or on a fire somewhere
In reality:
- Just another Robinson
- No in-flight break up
- No tourists
- Not in a school yard
- Only one death—and that of an old person not a child (I know, brutally honest right)
- Not flight training related or so it appears
- Not bad weather related
Joined: Apr 2003
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From: Northumberland
Joined: Mar 2023
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From: Chur
All the reports I’ve seen are ambiguous regarding the victim’s status. One person died and the pilot and two passengers were injured. But the basic and presumably uncontroversial information about whether the victim was an additional passenger or on the ground is left open and not acknowledged (e.g. “it is at present unclear whether ….”). Is it unusual? Is this information not part of the basic facts that will always be given to the media once known?
Joined: Apr 2003
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From: Northumberland
A man who died in a helicopter crash in Doncaster on Thursday has been named by his family as Peter Smith, aged 70.
The pilot, 41, and two other passengers, a 58-year-old woman and a boy, 10, suffered minor injuries.
The pilot, 41, and two other passengers, a 58-year-old woman and a boy, 10, suffered minor injuries.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c78zzezd5rlo
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 375
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From: North UK
Looks like an almost-successful autorotation after a power loss, which sadly ended in a dynamic roll-over (perhaps due to some side drift on touchdown? The tail rotor guard looks untouched).
There seems to be many power lines in the vicinity, so it's unlikely to be an intentional landing site.
The occupants are believed to be the son, grandson and wife of the deceased occupant, who was also a helicopter pilot.
There seems to be many power lines in the vicinity, so it's unlikely to be an intentional landing site.
The occupants are believed to be the son, grandson and wife of the deceased occupant, who was also a helicopter pilot.
Joined: Jun 2007
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From: UK
Perhaps only a pespective thing but it looks like the front end of the left hand skid has come off. We can't see the top of the passenger cabin (fortunately), maybe part of the skid was cut off by a blade? If it was a blade flapping down that low it may have impacted the canopy. Something which looks like that part of the skid is adjacent. As noted before, the skids don't look spread, if it was an auto then it looks like the pilot did everything he needed to do to get to the ground. My hat's off to anyone who gets anywhere near that close.
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From: Australia
Joined: Nov 2010
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From: Australia
Joined: Jan 2026
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From: West Yorkshire
I know the pilot of this very well,
so the story is he and his family were flying to Sherburn for breakfast, they were flying at 1,000ft on the altimeter,
after Doncaster they turned right following SkyDemon track
SkyDemon reported that he was just under 1000ft so he eased back on cyclic to gain height 100ft per minute climb rate, about 5-10 seconds after this the helicopter made a huge explosion style bang which they all heard and started shaking, the pilot immediately did a 180 auto! Both the pilot and his father identified the field and battling the helicopter he successfully autod and ran on, unfortunately the field was extremely muddy as sheep were in it and as it was coming to a stop the right hand skid dug in and it went onto its side, either the iPad or the airframe has hit the passenger and unfortunately he died! The pilot, pilots son and mother were fairly lucky and had cuts!
however my friend isn’t dealing with this very well at all! He did everything he could and he was low hours too, he had only just got rated on that r44 in the summer and passed his test last January so it’s a miracle they’ve survived at all! Mentally he’s not in a good place and from speaking to him he’s having to have a lot of councilling
so the story is he and his family were flying to Sherburn for breakfast, they were flying at 1,000ft on the altimeter,
after Doncaster they turned right following SkyDemon track
SkyDemon reported that he was just under 1000ft so he eased back on cyclic to gain height 100ft per minute climb rate, about 5-10 seconds after this the helicopter made a huge explosion style bang which they all heard and started shaking, the pilot immediately did a 180 auto! Both the pilot and his father identified the field and battling the helicopter he successfully autod and ran on, unfortunately the field was extremely muddy as sheep were in it and as it was coming to a stop the right hand skid dug in and it went onto its side, either the iPad or the airframe has hit the passenger and unfortunately he died! The pilot, pilots son and mother were fairly lucky and had cuts!
however my friend isn’t dealing with this very well at all! He did everything he could and he was low hours too, he had only just got rated on that r44 in the summer and passed his test last January so it’s a miracle they’ve survived at all! Mentally he’s not in a good place and from speaking to him he’s having to have a lot of councilling
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 375
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From: North UK
I was a good friend of the pilot's father who sadly died in this accident, and also know the pilot.
I spoke to the pilot at his father's funeral and can verify all of the above - it's very tragic that the father lost his life in an eminently survivable accident.
The emergency seems to have been handled perfectly, but from the pilot's comments, when autorotating an R-44 you have to 'run on' when landing, you can't bring it to a halt before touchdown - hence the almost inevitable roll-over on a very rough field.
All the best to the pilot - I hope he recovers in due course. His father really was a swell guy. RIP Pete.
I spoke to the pilot at his father's funeral and can verify all of the above - it's very tragic that the father lost his life in an eminently survivable accident.
The emergency seems to have been handled perfectly, but from the pilot's comments, when autorotating an R-44 you have to 'run on' when landing, you can't bring it to a halt before touchdown - hence the almost inevitable roll-over on a very rough field.
All the best to the pilot - I hope he recovers in due course. His father really was a swell guy. RIP Pete.