ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 138470
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| Date: | Sunday 8 May 2005 |
| Time: | 16:30 |
| Type: |  Aérospatiale SA 342J Gazelle |
| Owner/operator: | MW Helicopters Ltd |
| Registration: | F-GJSL |
| MSN: | 1052 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1973 |
| Engine model: | Turbomeca Astazou XIVG |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | near Ockington Farm, Dymock, Gloucestershire -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | Approach |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Warminster, Wiltshire |
| Ockington Farm Strip, near Dymock, Gloucestershire | |
| Investigating agency: | AAIB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
After an uneventful flight from Warminster, the pilot, accompanied by his wife, made an approach to their private landing site adjacent to their house. He had to hover-taxi with a downwind component until the helicopter passed just beyond the paved landing pad.
His intention was then to make a spot turn to the left, through 180 degrees, and hover-taxi back to the pad for an
‘into wind’ landing. The pilot initiated the spot turn slowly and stopped after turning through 90 degrees, with the
fin approximately side on to the wind. As he prepared to commence the second half of the turn, but before left
pedal was applied, the helicopter yawed rapidly to the left.
Application of right pedal did not appear to reduce the rate of yaw, so the pilot pulled up on the collective lever in order to gain height. He also applied some aft cyclic to counter a perceived nose down pitch during the turn. The pilot recalled becoming extremely disorientated and releasing his grip on the collective lever in an attempt to grab his wife’s hand. He heard a loud bang as the helicopter contacted the roof of his house, causing the tail-boom to detach.
The helicopter fell to the ground and the pilot, who remained conscious throughout, was able to climb out of the wreckage through the helicopter’s roof. He used the on board fire extinguisher to put out a fire in the engine bay and oil tank, but was unable to extract his unconscious wife from the wreckage.
After, unsuccessfully, attempting to disconnect the battery and locate the fuel cut off lever, he telephoned the emergency services who were on the scene within 10 minutes. Both the pilot and his wife were air lifted to hospital.
Nature of Damage to airframe: Per the AAIB report "Damaged beyond economic repair".
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
1. https://assets.digital.cabinet-office.gov.uk/media/5422efffe5274a13170002d5/Eurocopter_SA342J_Gazelle__F-GJSL_08-06.pdf
2. http://www.aviafora.com/forums/forum/helicopter-fora/gazelles/343-shrieking-gazelles/page15
3. http://www.aviafora.com/forums/forum/helicopter-fora/gazelles/343-shrieking-gazelles/page8
4. http://www.helitorque.com/portal/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&p=12989
5. http://www.aviation-links.co.uk/Gloucestershire%20Aircraft%20Accidents.pdf
6. http://web.archive.org/web/20120928112413/http://www.immat.aviation-civile.gouv.fr:80/immat/servlet/aeronef_liste.html;jsessionid=A0A6A525D7A250D7C157A662D9434B19
7. https://www.pprune.org/rotorheads/174010-crash-gloucester-2-injured.html
8. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/gloucestershire/4528035.stm
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 10-Sep-2011 15:15 | Dr. John Smith | Added |
| 23-Mar-2013 18:39 | TB | Updated [Cn, Operator, Location, Damage] |
| 23-Mar-2013 18:39 | TB | Updated [[Cn, Operator, Location, Damage]] |
| 23-Mar-2013 18:44 | TB | Updated [Time, Damage, Narrative] |
| 22-Aug-2015 22:18 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Source, Embed code, Narrative] |
| 22-Aug-2015 22:22 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Operator, Location, Source] |
| 22-Aug-2015 22:23 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Departure airport] |
| 10-Aug-2016 23:56 | Dr.John Smith | Updated [Time, Source, Narrative] |
| 10-Aug-2016 23:58 | Dr.John Smith | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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