Heli down in Cumbria.
 

Reported on local TV news network that the wreckage of a helicopter has been discovered by a farmer on farmland in Cumbria at around 11.30 local time this morning. More details on the Granada Reports bulletin at 16.30 this afternoon.

Thoughts and condolonces go out to anybody involved in the accident.

I was thinking of going to Windermere today but the overnight weather forecast wasn't good with low cloud and rain moving south from Scotland and low overcast early this morning thickening and bringing more rain towards lunchtime.

Four people killed. Looks like it went down last night after departing for a destination in Scotland.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/6931139.stm

Rumored to be An R44

Thoughts and condolences to the family and friends of those involved.

Pontious, why the weather forecast?

A tragic accident. Assuming the report in the link is correct, how is it that an R44 can take off at night, on a cross country flight, with passengers, and in bad weather?

Windemere is in Cumbria, about 15 miles from the crash site.


Civil twilight there last night was about 21.40 - maybe it was before that. We'll have to wait and see.

in the uk night flying can be carried out with passengers in a R44 most small helicopters can fly at night if the night kit is fitted

possibly not public transport or for hire and reward but private flights

its only rumoured it was a r44 at the moment nobody has confirmed it yet

Very sad news indeed.

Max_Chat, why the weather forecast?

Why do you think? Marginal weather in that area, nothing more, nothing less, Pontious is stating a fact.

Just heard on the local news that the heli took off at approx 7pm.

.

For Info

from Border TV
As above 4POB going to Lochmaben (Dumfries & Galloway).
From police spokesman, on non-arrival alarm raised seach last night by police, RAF, mountain rescue & coast guard. Farmer was out checking stock this a.m. when wreckage discovered.

At approx 17:00 on the West Coast cloudbase was down below 500ft

Max Chat

Do the replies by on21 & TRC answer your question? Adverse weather coupled with hilly terrain frequently appears as a contributing factor in aircraft accidents.

Timed at 17:59 BST
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/6931139.stm
Excerpts:
...
Police said the helicopter had taken off from Carnforth, Lancashire, at about 1900 BST on Friday bound for Lochmaben, near Lockerbie, in Scotland.
...
Police pinpointed its position using signals from the passengers' mobile phones, but by that time a farm worker had spotted the crashed aircraft.
He alerted emergency services at 1122 BST.
...
A spokesman for Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service said two bodies were found in the helicopter and two were in a field nearby. He said the area had experienced heavy rain and strong winds on Friday night.

Further info

Sill Field is approx 1/4 mile east of the M6 about 2 miles north of Jct 36 (Kendal). terrain about 5 - 6 hundred feet

Pontious and On21

Looks like the investigation has started and your conclusions are clear. Shame you can't wait for ALL the facts before you start chucking stuff around.

Anyway, I shall leave this thread.

I'm afraid I don't see the relevance of today's weather forcast on a tragic accident that happened last night.

The inclusion of that forecast in the announcement of the accident is misleading and IMHO very distasteful.

But Pontious did not know the accident was last night the report said a/c found 11:30 this morning so not at all distasteful.

hihover
Pontius quoted the weather near the accident scene overnight , and into today, as does the BBC report...
Try reading...
N

My thoughts are with the families.

I agree completely with Max Chat. To start a thread asking about a crash, and then add the forecast to your post is beyond unreasonable. Unless pontius knew alot before he posted, I think the implication from his post was that this was going to be found to be weather related. Maybe wait for a few facts before making veiled accusations.

Of course somebody will claim it was an innocent remark, but asking about an accident "this morning" and following with the TAF? What do you expect us to say?

I agree with TRC. "We'll have to wait and see"

egbt, Nige 321 etc.

That's cleared up then.
Despite all the comments about the weather, nobody was jumping to conclusions/suggesting the weather was a factor in the accident in which these people lost their lives.
Quite right.
I'm sure no-one in this forum would do that. That's the sort of thing we criticise journos for doing.

Hmmm.

Sad news

The weather on friday night was low cloud and rain in the Kendal area. I driving near there early evening and though it was miserable night. Cloud on hills.
Personally, I would not have been trying to fly in it but hey i am only a fixed wing pilot.

Nige321
 

Sorry pal, I'm not with you, try reading what? If you are referring to post #1 by Pontious, I read it before I made my comments and nothing has changed. The inclusion of a weather report in that announcement, in my opinion, was uncalled for.

Your opinion is obviously not the same as mine, go ahead and post your opinion if you have something to say. That might be a better option than a smarmy comment.

Back to the thread.....Can anyone confirm that it was an R44 or do we still not know?

tam

Film report on ITV news a few minutes ago showed it to be an R44.

BBc also confirms it as an Robinson44

This is a tragedy, but I failed to mention that the border bulletin earlier stated they were on their way to a wedding, this makes it even sadder, I think

Yeh,
Pretty sure I saw G-OSSI R44.
3 years old, registered to an owner in Bradford
on Public Transort.
Archived pictures show the airframe displaying
'Goss Air"

Condolences to family, colleagues and friends on yet another sad outcome in aviation

ITN news just showed the wreckage of this aircraft.Very sad.
http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f8.../G-OSSI001.jpg

Nobody is disputing this is a terrible accident, and will destroy more lives than the four confirmed fatalities, however how many of these posting has there been over the years. Every genuine pilot out there knows where this is going distasteful or not.

Don't shoot the messenger.

Owned by Goss Air Ltd

Looks like it may have been a Public Transport Flight as Weddings appears to be a speciality of the company

http://www.gossair.co.uk/flights.html

What a tragedy if it was on a wedding job

on21
 

Don't fool yourself, genuine pilots will not be passing judgement at this stage.

Does anyone know if this operation is anything to do with my old pal Mick?

What a tragedy.

tam

It has become a regular argument on Prune whether people should speculate or the old 'wait for the enquiry' pleas. This is a rumour network. I agree that falsely accusing someone of taking a poor course of action is wrong, but posting a weather report is not really a problem. To be honest, most pilots first thought will be please not one of my friends/condolences to family. Second thoughts usually are what type and what was the weather like?
My heart goes out to the families in their loss, I hope they get all the answers to their questions as quickly as possible.

Well - I've looked for GOSS AIR on the latest (20/7/7) CAA AOC list.

No sign.

Jim Ball - could they have been operating on someone else's AOC? - quite possible if just a single aircraft operation.

I don't feel that anybody has speculated excessively on this thread or been disrespectful to the deceased or their families.

IMHO posting the weather at the time was entirely relevant - nobody has drawn any conclusions yet but at least we have a clearer picture of the circumstances surrounding this tragic loss.:sad:

SB

IMO posting the wx also paints a picture of how difficult the search and rescue/recovery might have been. So I'd say it is relevant.

Tam - Your not referring to Mick Goss ex AAC are you?:uhoh:

If you are I'm afraid I have some bad news for you.

He is unconnected with this accident.

Would that be Tam of the inadvertant crewman initiated engine off variety by any chance?

Letsby: I certainly hope that that was not a reference to wingnut too - RIP.

Scooter: I hope not.
Single engine CAT at night in the UK..........

i may be wrong but isnt the heli based at multiflight and uses their aoc ?

Eye witness report.
 

Re. Eye Witness Report
 

The farm manager having been told of the situation: "went to the crash scene with his son John, nine."

He is reported to have said: "It was not very pleasant to see, especially for my young son."

WTF??