Date:	Wednesday 13 June 2018
Time:	10:15 LT
Type:	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
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Category:	Accident
Location:	Loch Scadavay, South 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:
AAIB investigation to AS350B2 Ecureuil, G-PLMH: Written off (destroyed) when crashed due to loss of control and impact with water after underslung load struck tail rotor, Loch Scadavay, North Uist, Western Isles, 13 June 2018. The incident was the subject of an AAIB Investigation, and the following is the summary from the AAIB report:

"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".

=Damage sustained to airframe=
Per the AAIB Report "Helicopter Destroyed". As a result, the CAA cancelled the registration G-PLMH (with the airframe being de-registered) on 25 April 2019 as "destroyed"

1. AAIB Report: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5f58f7a1d3bf7f7232e7e63d/AS350B2_Ecureuil_G-PLMH_08-19.pdf
2. https://stv.tv/news/north/1418643-helicopter-ditches-into-loch-on-outer-hebridies
3. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-44468318
4. https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/973838/helicopter-crash-western-isles-scotland-north-uist
5. https://news.sky.com/story/helicopter-ditches-into-loch-in-western-isles-11403908
6. http://www.pdgaviationservices.com/news/helicopter-incident-north-uist
7. https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/news/highlands/1498209/pilot-killed-in-western-isles-helicopter-crash-named-as-aberdeenshire-man/
8. https://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/G-PLMH.html
9. https://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/HB-XTE.html
10. https://www.helis.com/database/cn/25884/
11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loch_Sgadabhagh

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

AS.350 G-PLMH, PDG/Dollar group: Seen working at Grasmere in the Lake District carrying materials for work on a Hydro Electric Scheme 13 April 2015

Fatal accident to AS350B2 Ecureuil helicopter at Loch Scadavay, North Uist, Western Isles https://t.co/yqm23lRBfd pic.twitter.com/1cDYyNfLOv

— AAIB (@aaibgovuk) July 18, 2019

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
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, ]
17-Jul-2024 13:42	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Location, Source, Embed code, Narrative, Category, ]