ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 238389
Last updated: 21 February 2021
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| Date: | 19-JUL-2020 |
| Time: | c. 14:30 LT |
| Type: |  NHIndustries NH90 NFH |
| Owner/operator: | Royal Netherlands Navy |
| Registration: | N-324 |
| C/n / msn: | 1324/NNLN17 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 4 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Written off (damaged beyond repair) |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | about 12 km off Aruba -
 Aruba
|
| Phase: | Approach |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | Zr. Ms. Groningen (P843) |
| Zr. Ms. Groningen (P843) | |
| Investigating agency: | Dutch Safety Board |
An NH90 NFH helicopter of the Royal Netherlands Air Force crashed into sea, about 12km off Aruba, killing a pilot and a tactical coordinator. Two other crew members were rescued.
The helicopter was stationed on the offshore patrol vessel Zr. Ms. Groningen (P843) of the Royal Netherlands Navy, which is based at Curaçao and it was engaged in a patrol mission over the Caribbean.
The accident took place while practicing deck landings on the vessel. The Dutch Safety Board's investigation shows that the helicopter got into trouble when performing a downwind turn. The helicopter's Indicated Airspeed dropped to zero.
Under these circumstances a lot of extra power is needed to keep the helicopter in the air. The pilot added power, but because of the low altitude it was impossible to correct the initiated descent in time. The helicopter quickly lost altitude and hit the water within seconds.
The helicopter had floated inverted but subsequently sank when the two forward Emergency Flotation System bags deflated.
Sources:
https://www.rtlnieuws.nl/nieuws/nederland/artikel/5172274/ongeluk-helikopter-ministerie-van-defensie-nederland
https://www.telegraaf.nl/nieuws/1057651291/helikopter-defensie-neergestort-bij-aruba-twee-doden
https://curacao.nu/neergestorten-helikopter-defensie/
https://marineschepen.nl/nieuws/NH-90-helikopter-Zr-Ms-Groningen-neergestort-200720.html
https://www.defensie.nl/actueel/nieuws/2020/07/20/vliegprogramma-nh90-helikopters-opgeschort
https://nltimes.nl/2020/07/20/defense-nh90-helicopters-grounded-fatal-accident
https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/crashed-dutch-helicopter-sinks
https://www.ivd.nl/actueel/nieuws/2020/08/03/index-technisch-nh90
https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/no-technical-failure-in-helicopter-crash
https://www.onderzoeksraad.nl/nl/page/18001/ongeval-nh90-helikopter-aruba
https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news-detail/rov-utilised-to-salvage-crashed-dutch-nh90-helicopter-in-the-caribbean
http://aerossurance.com/helicopters/nh90-water-impact-survival
http://denhelderaviationphotos.weebly.com/uploads/2/5/3/0/25302800/4294192_orig.jpg (photo)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HNLMS_Groningen_(P843)
https://twitter.com/PCazador2021/status/1285057098510929920
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Media:
NH90 Caribbean water impact after LOC-I on a low, slow downwind leg. The survivors had not trained with the specific safety equipment in place. The front crew both became trapped. https://t.co/qfTqdi33R7 #military #helicopter #accident #flightsafety #aviationsafety pic.twitter.com/8ExANvuSMm
— Aerossurance (@Aerossurance) December 13, 2020
Images:
Photo of N-324 courtesy AirHistory.net
Den Helder - De Kooy (EHKD / DHR)
16 September 2017; (c) Michiel van Herten
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 20-Jul-2020 03:10 | RobertMB | Added |
| 20-Jul-2020 03:33 | RobertMB | Updated [Time, Total occupants, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 20-Jul-2020 05:46 | harro | Updated [Total fatalities, Total occupants, Source] |
| 20-Jul-2020 05:58 | harro | Updated [Destination airport, Narrative] |
| 20-Jul-2020 06:12 | harro | Updated [Location] |
| 20-Jul-2020 06:26 | Leroy | Updated [Registration, Cn] |
| 20-Jul-2020 06:26 | harro | Updated [Registration, Source, Narrative] |
| 20-Jul-2020 06:32 | Aerossurance | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
| 20-Jul-2020 07:42 | RobertMB | Updated [Registration, Cn, Location, Source, Narrative] |
| 20-Jul-2020 12:31 | Aerossurance | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
| 20-Jul-2020 12:33 | Aerossurance | Updated [Source] |
| 20-Jul-2020 17:39 | RobertMB | Updated [Departure airport, Destination airport, Narrative] |
| 20-Jul-2020 17:43 | Aerossurance | Updated [Embed code, Narrative] |
| 21-Jul-2020 06:34 | Anon. | Updated [Embed code] |
| 27-Jul-2020 08:07 | Aerossurance | Updated [Source, Embed code, Narrative] |
| 10-Aug-2020 21:27 | Aerossurance | Updated [Source, Embed code, Narrative] |
| 09-Dec-2020 09:22 | Aerossurance | Updated [Operator, Phase, Source, Narrative] |
| 09-Dec-2020 10:28 | harro | Updated [Narrative, Accident report] |
| 12-Dec-2020 18:29 | Aerossurance | Updated [Source, Accident report] |
| 13-Dec-2020 09:31 | Aerossurance | Updated [Embed code, Accident report] |
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