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| Date: | Wednesday 14 August 1985 |
| Time: | 11:15 |
| Type: |  Bell 214ST |
| Owner/operator: | British Caledonian Helicopters |
| Registration: | G-BKFN |
| MSN: | 28109 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1982 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 18 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Minor |
| Location: | near Balmedie, Aberdeenshire -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Offshore |
| Departure airport: | Aberdeen (ABZ/EGPD) |
| Glomar Biscay II oil rig | |
| Investigating agency: | AIB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
Emergency landing in a field after the onset of severe vibration. A main rotor drag brace had failed due to fatigue likely originating from corrosion pitting. All 18 persons on board (2 pilots and 16 passengers) vacated the aircraft uninjured.
A similar failure occurred to VH-LAO on 28 Mar 1988.
G-BKFN was repaired and returned to service, and ditched into the North Sea, 14 miles North East of Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire on 15 May 1986.
Sources:
https://www.gov.uk/aaib-reports/bell-214st-g-bkfn-14-august-1985
http://www.caa.co.uk/aircraft-registration/
History of this aircraft
Other occurrences involving this aircraft
| 15 May 1986 | G-BKFN | British Caledonian Helicopters | 0 | North Sea, 14 mi NE of Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire | |
sub |
| Ditching | ||||||
| 24 December 1990 | G-BKFN | Bristow Helicopters | 0 | near Cormorant A offshore installation, North Sea | |
sub |
| 7 June 2021 | C-GDYZ | Helicopter Transport Services | 0 | 14 nm NE of Nipigon, ON |  |
sub |
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 15-Aug-2014 17:38 | Aerossurance | Added |
| 17-Aug-2014 10:18 | Aerossurance | Updated [Narrative, ] |
| 25-Aug-2014 14:10 | TB | Updated [Location, Narrative, ] |
| 02-Dec-2014 18:36 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Location, Country, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, ] |
| 15-Aug-2015 13:57 | Aerossurance | Updated [Location, Departure airport, Source, Narrative, ] |
| 19-Sep-2021 19:58 | Anon. | Updated [Departure airport, Destination airport, ] |
| 08-Jun-2025 16:37 | Aerossurance | Updated [Location, Narrative, ] |
| 21-Jun-2025 08:09 | Aerossurance | Updated [Narrative, ] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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