Helicopter Crash In Bettystown Ireland
 

Just got word of helicopter crashed in Bettystown a few mins ago. Anyone hear anything?

Its just on news now
 

Helicopter crashes in Co Meath

Thursday, 18 September 2008 17:19
A helicopter has crashed in Bettystown in Co Meath.
The aircraft crashed beside a community school, which was formerly the Neptune Hotel.
The aircraft came down inside the entrance of Neptune Terrace, which is a row of houses facing Bettystown Beach.


The helicopter caught fire after it crashed but the emergency services have since extinguished the fire.
It is not yet known how many people were on board or if there are any survivors.
There is wreckage on the main street of the town.


Got that from RTE news

Just seen it on the news.. They say no one was seriousily injured..

A mate of mine tells me it's a 109 (a hunch, it has retractable gears).. more on this later

A helicopter has crashed in Bettystown, County Meath.

It is thought the pilot was the only person on board at the time of the crash at about 1700 BST.

An eyewitness who saw him walk away unscathed said he was "an incredibly lucky man". He had just left passengers off on the beach of the seaside town.

The helicopter made it to about 70ft in the air before crashing beside the Neptune Hotel, currently being used as a temporary secondary school.

It caught fire upon impact, but firefighters have since extinguished the blaze.

One person was taken to hospital in nearby Drogheda.

Bettystown Crash
 

Hi all.

The heli was a sikorsky 76, that's confirmed, from the dublin area.

No one was killed, 3 on board, all should be ok!

The heli was N399BM.

google is telling me that registration is a twin turboprop. Check out FlightAware > Pilot Resources > Aircraft Registration > N399BM

Friends have received txt from Pilot who is safe and well. TG

Thankfully nobody was injured. I heard debris is scattered all over town, what actually happened?

S-76 N399bh
 

N399BM is a Kingair but possibly the helicopter involved is/was N399BH?


http://www.aso.com/aircraft/113080/ext-3.jpg

Thankfully no-one was seriously injured.

500 Fan.

passed by earlier.. about 6pm. this was the scene

http://i497.photobucket.com/albums/r...l/18092008.jpg

amazed pilot walked away.. fair play

One POB only.

Lunar

Helicopter crash Bettystown
 

Witnessed crash. Pilot had landed on the beach to let some passengers off then proceded to take off but for some reason moved a few yards over to car park adjacent to the old hotel which is now used as a secondary school. He hovered about ten feet off the ground for a short time and proceeded to land on a short wall about six feet off the ground, flipped over and was torn apart from impact. Pilot managed to escape. Place was a mess with debris. Some locals hit by flying parts but nothing serious. Spoke to police, other witnesses and crash investigator. Heard different reports but it might look like pilot error in this case. Didn't look like engine failure to me. More like controlled flight. In any case it's a miracle noone was killed or injured.

Interesting, thankfully everyone survived.

From the BEEB:

BBC NEWS | Northern Ireland | Helicopter crashes near school

http://www.pprune.org/rotorheads/292...ml#post3544044

heli crash
 

The heli was an S76 , after letting off passengers the aircraft had an engine failure/fire and made an emergency landing , burst into flames seconds after, no passengers onboard, pilot only minor cuts and bruises. was not pilot error, did very well to avoid street and people on it.!!!!

RTE News link:

Web report: RTÉ News: Helicopter crashes in Co Meath

Video: RTÉ.ie Media Player: Nine News 18 September 2008

The 9pm News report above has video footage of the accident site and interviews with one of the passengers who'd just been dropped off and witnesses on the ground, one of whom had a very lucky escape from shrapnel penetrating into his apartment across the road.

Very lucky that no one has suffered more than scratches and shock.
Expensive though.

Couldn’t have landed on the beach
 

In Ireland you need permission from the Dept of the Marine before you can land on a beach.
Yet to hear of permission being handed out.
It being such a big issue with the IAA (getting prior permission)
Surely the pilot didn’t land on the beach?

Thankfully Pilot OK well done to him, apparently he was not intending to land where he did even though that is where he had permission to land but as already said possible engine failure/fire so a little busy and all at less than 200 feet.

I guess there are more private helicopters in Ireland than AOC aircraft, mind you ask Irish helis the same questions I think they have had their fair share of incidents in the last few years. maybe engage your brain next time.
Max

Permission or not ?
 

Sorry Maxvne

“Apparently he was not intending to land where he did even though that is where he had permission to land “
You might explain that one!


Its simple he had permission or he didn’t?

The eyewitness statement (when verified) for Tim1

“Witnessed crash. Pilot had landed on the beach to let some passengers off then proceeded to take”

I am referring to the first landing and dropping of passengers and if permission had been granted to land at the beach.

I am not referring to the subsequent takeoff/ repositioning.

All of that aside it must be said the guy was very luckily.
It could have been a lot worse for himself and bystanders and I suppose we should be thankful that there weren’t any serious injuries.