Loss of control Accident Aerospatiale AS 350B2 Ecureuil G-PLMH,
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ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 212079
 
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Date:Wednesday 13 June 2018
Time:10:15 LT
Type:Silhouette image of generic AS50 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Aerospatiale AS 350B2 Ecureuil
Owner/operator:PDG Aviation Services
Registration: G-PLMH
MSN: 2156
Year of manufacture:1989
Engine model:Turbomeca Arriel 1D1
Fatalities:Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Category:Accident
Location:Loch Scadavay, S of Lochmaddy, North Uist, Western Isles -   United Kingdom
Phase: Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.)
Nature:External load operation
Departure airport:Benbecula Airport (BEB/EGPL)
Destination airport:
Investigating agency: AAIB
Confidence Rating: Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Narrative:
The helicopter which was conducted fish farm support work impacted a loch with one POB. Police Scotland confirm one fatality, the pilot, aged 58. A PDG spokesman said: "It was out working at the time for the Scottish Salmon Company, but it was not carrying salmon."

Whilst the helicopter was performing an underslung load operation at Loch Scadavay the boat it was carrying became unstable and flew upwards, causing the lifting line to strike the helicopter’s tail rotor. The helicopter became uncontrollable and descended rapidly into the loch, fatally injuring the pilot.

The physical characteristics of the boat and the method by which it was carried increased the probability of it becoming unstable.

The helicopter operator has taken a number of safety actions mainly relating to its operational procedures and training. It has also temporarily curtailed the carriage of selected types of unstable or potentially unstable loads.

Accident investigation:
cover
  
Investigating agency: AAIB
Report number: EW/C2018/06/02
Status: Investigation completed
Duration: 1 year 1 month
Download report: Final report

Sources:

1. https://stv.tv/news/north/1418643-helicopter-ditches-into-loch-on-outer-hebridies
2. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-44468318
3. https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/973838/helicopter-crash-western-isles-scotland-north-uist
4. https://news.sky.com/story/helicopter-ditches-into-loch-in-western-isles-11403908
5. http://www.pdgaviationservices.com/news/helicopter-incident-north-uist
6. https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/news/highlands/1498209/pilot-killed-in-western-isles-helicopter-crash-named-as-aberdeenshire-man/
7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loch_Sgadabhagh
8. https://www.gov.uk/aaib-reports/aaib-investigation-to-as350b2-ecureuil-g-plmh

History of this aircraft

Other occurrences involving this aircraft
17 June 1992 HB-XTE Heli Linth AG 0 Flumserberge, SG sub
23 May 1995 G-PLMH PLM Helicopters Ltd 0 Gair Loch, near Stornoway, Scotland sub

Media:

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
13-Jun-2018 11:02 gerard57 Added
13-Jun-2018 11:03 gerard57 Updated [Source]
13-Jun-2018 11:52 Iceman 29 Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Operator, Nature, Source, Embed code, Narrative]
13-Jun-2018 17:18 Aerossurance Updated [Aircraft type, Source, Embed code, Narrative]
13-Jun-2018 17:22 Aerossurance Updated [Total fatalities, Total occupants, Source, Narrative, Plane category]
13-Jun-2018 17:25 Aerossurance Updated [Total occupants, Narrative]
13-Jun-2018 17:41 Aerossurance Updated [Location]
13-Jun-2018 17:44 Aerossurance Updated [Narrative]
13-Jun-2018 17:45 Aerossurance Updated [Damage]
13-Jun-2018 19:16 Dr. John Smith Updated [Location, Departure airport, Source, Embed code, Narrative]
13-Jun-2018 19:26 Iceman 29 Updated [Embed code]
13-Jun-2018 20:54 Aerossurance Updated [Departure airport, Source, Embed code, Narrative]
13-Jun-2018 20:58 Aerossurance Updated [Embed code, Narrative]
13-Jun-2018 22:42 Aerossurance Updated [Registration, Cn, Source, Narrative]
14-Jun-2018 15:37 Aerossurance Updated [Source]
18-Oct-2018 17:09 Dr.John Smith Updated [Source, Narrative]
18-Jul-2019 09:48 Aerossurance Updated [Phase, Departure airport, Source, Embed code, Narrative]
18-Jul-2019 19:48 harro Updated [Embed code, Accident report, ]
12-Nov-2023 20:20 harro Updated [Other fatalities, Accident report]

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