Date:	Saturday 16 July 1983
Time:	11:36
Type:	Sikorsky S-61N-II
Owner/operator:	British Airways Helicopters
Registration:	G-BEON
MSN:	61770
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 20 / Occupants: 26
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Category:	Accident
Location:	in the sea 1½ nm NE of St Mary’s Aerodrome, Isles of Scilly -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Approach
Nature:	Passenger - Scheduled
Departure airport:	Penzance (EGHK)
Destination airport:	St Mary's, Isles of Scilly (EGHE)
Investigating agency:	AIB
Confidence Rating:	Information verified through data from accident investigation authorities

Narrative:
VFR flight. Commander was PF. On approach gradually descended from the intended height of 250ft and flew into a calm sea at between 80 and 100 knots in degraded visibility, 1½ nm NE of St Mary’s Aerodrome, Isles of Scilly

One crew and 19 passenger fatalities. The six survivors were not able to escape with / don lifejackets but used suitcases as floatation aids. They were picked up by an RNLI lifeboats. No ELT activated. RN SAR helicopters were not equipped to search for civil ELT transmissions.

Eight recommendations made.

salvaged by MV Seaforth Clansman.

1. AAIB: https://assets.digital.cabinet-office.gov.uk/media/5422fd7640f0b613460009b9/Special_Bulletin_Sikorsky_S-61N__G-BEON_08-83.pdf
2. CAA: http://www.caa.co.uk/aircraft-registration/
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1983_British_Airways_Sikorsky_S-61_crash
4. http://aerossurance.com/helicopters/commanders-flying-monitoring/
5. https://www.helis.com/database/cn/23845/
6. https://www.thisdayinaviation.com/16-july-1983/_
7. https://www.pprune.org/rotorheads/235031-ba-s-61-g-beon.html
8. https://www.cornishmemory.com/item/BES_4_101

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
17-May-2008 11:10	ASN archive	Added
30-Dec-2009 10:07	TB	Updated [Other fatalities, Location, Phase, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, ]
11-Nov-2012 15:12	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, ]
22-Dec-2012 13:30	TB	Updated [Location, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, ]
22-Dec-2012 13:47	TB	Updated [Time, Destination airport, ]
22-Aug-2014 09:48	Aerossurance	Updated [Source, Narrative, ]
30-Oct-2015 04:44	Dr.John Smith	Updated [Time, Location, Source, Embed code, Narrative, ]
20-Jan-2016 20:26	Aerossurance	Updated [Location, Narrative, ]
13-Jul-2024 16:36	Aerossurance	Updated [Source, Narrative, ]