Date:	Friday 6 January 2012
Time:	11:26 LT
Type:	Robinson R22 Beta
Owner/operator:	Polar Helicopters Ltd
Registration:	G-CHZN
MSN:	0884
Year of manufacture:	1988
Engine model:	Lycoming O-360-J2A
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Category:	Accident
Location:	Lancaster Way, 2 miles SW of Ely, Cambridgeshire -   United Kingdom
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Private
Departure airport:	Manston, Kent (EGMH)
Destination airport:	Fenland Airfield, Holbeach St. Johns, Lincolnshire (EGCL)
Investigating agency:	AAIB
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
The Robinson R22 helicopter, was flying from Manston to Fenland. Near Ely, witnesses on the ground saw the helicopter pitch and roll rapidly, the two main rotor blades separated from the rotor head and the aircraft fell to the ground. The pilot was fatally injured.

According to the final AAIB report:

"At 11:14 hours, the air traffic controller told the pilot of G-CHZN that he would be unable to clear him through the overhead of the airport because of traffic in the circuit. The pilot acknowledged the information, and turned towards Fenland. At 11:18 hours, the pilot reported his altitude as “ONE THOUSAND FOUR HUNDRED FEET, QNH 1026”, which was the last radio transmission received from thehelicopter.

At 11:21 hours, G-CHZN was on a northerly track when it entered the western stub of the Mildenhall Military Aerodrome Traffic Zone (MATZ). The helicopter was at 1,350 feet amsl and the MATZ stub extended from 1,033 feet
to 3,033 feet amsl.

At 11:23 hours, approximately 3 nautical miles south of the town of Ely, the pilot turned left towards Fenland, and, at 11:25:48 hrs, G-CHZN disappeared from radar.

Wreckage of the helicopter was found in a field 2 miles south-west of Ely.

The accident was caused by main rotor divergence resulting in mast bumping, the rotor blades striking the airframe and rotor blade separation. The AAIB report included Safety Recommendations, to the EASA and the FAA, that refer to the certification requirements for future light helicopters, to reduce the risk of ‘loss of main rotor control’ accidents".

Nature of Damage sustained to airframe: Per the AAIB report "Aircraft destroyed". As a result, the registration G-CHZN was cancelled by the CAA on 11-07-2012 as aircraft "destroyed"

1. AAIB: https://assets.digital.cabinet-office.gov.uk/media/542302fe40f0b61342000ac7/Robinson_R22_Beta_G-CHZN_02-13.pdf
2. CAA: http://www.caa.co.uk/aircraft-registration/
3. http://www.heart.co.uk/cambridge/news/local/ely-man-killed-helicopter-crash/
4. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-22551183
5. http://www.huntspost.co.uk/news/update-helicopter-crash-at-ely-pilot-declared-dead-1-1170614?forgotpassword=&action=login
6. https://www.pprune.org/rotorheads/473484-r22-down-near-ely-cambs-jan-2012-a.html
7. https://www.kentlive.news/mystery-remains-death-crash-helicopter-pilot/story-18148185-detail/story.html
8. http://www.wisbechstandard.co.uk/news/helicopter-pilot-who-died-in-cambridgeshire-crash-identified-1-1179727
9. https://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/Slideshow-Pilot-killed-helicopter-crash/story-22358737-detail/story.html

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
06-Jan-2012 08:16	gerard57	Added
06-Jan-2012 10:20	RobertMB	Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Registration, Cn, Operator, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, ]
06-Jan-2012 10:24	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Operator, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, ]
06-Jan-2012 11:15	RobertMB	Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Registration, Cn, Operator, Source, Narrative, ]
09-Jan-2012 00:46	Anon.	Updated [Departure airport, ]
09-Sep-2012 11:59	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Embed code, Narrative, ]
16-Feb-2013 12:15	harro	Updated [Time, Source, Narrative, ]
06-Jun-2014 21:25	TB	Updated [Operator, Location, Source, Embed code, ]
22-Dec-2014 01:59	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Location, Source, Embed code, Narrative, ]
28-Aug-2015 00:08	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Embed code, ]
11-Sep-2015 03:26	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Operator, Source, Embed code, Narrative, ]
26-Sep-2016 21:27	Aerossurance	Updated [Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Narrative, ]
17-Dec-2016 22:00	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Narrative, ]
17-Dec-2016 22:53	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Narrative, ]
17-Dec-2016 22:53	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative, ]