ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 83248
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| Date: | Thursday 9 December 2010 |
| Time: | 09:00 |
| Type: |  Robinson R22 Beta II |
| Owner/operator: | Spiral Wing Ltd |
| Registration: | G-CBVL |
| MSN: | 3353 |
| Year of manufacture: | 2002 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Tourettes-sur-Loup, Alpes-Maritimes 06 -
 France
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Sospel, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, Alpes-Maritimes, France |
| Avignon-Caumont Airport (AVN/LFMV) | |
| Investigating agency: | BEA |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
Robinson R22 Beta II G-CBVL crashed in a steep sided valley while en route from Sospel to Avignon. The pilot took off from a private helipad in Cuneo (Italy) for a flight bound for the United Kingdom via the Rhône valley. He transited north of the Nice Côte d’Azur aerodrome, in contact with the Flight Information Service. Twenty minutes later, the controller lost radar and radio contact with the aircraft. The wreckage was found on the side of a wooded hill. The pilot and passenger were killed.
The investigation showed that the accident was likely due to an inappropriate input on the flight controls by the pilot in turbulent conditions. This input caused rotor shaft bumping that resulted in a deviation in main rotor rotation and the failure of the main blades’ droop restrainer. French press reports named the deceased as Martin Rutty and Simon Lichtenstein. According to contemporary press reports:
"Two British championship-winning pilots have been killed in a helicopter crash in southern France. Martin Rutty, 50, from Little Hereford, and Simon Lichtenstein, 49, from Bircher, in Herefordshire, died on Thursday [December 9, 2010]. The men crashed shortly after take-off from the French town of Sospel near the Italian border, while heading towards the Provencal city of Avignon. They were flying the Robinson R22 craft back to the UK after it had been on display in an Italian showroom.
Witnesses in the village of Tourrettes-sur-Loup described seeing the aircraft go out of control and crash into trees below. Reports indicate it suffered a catastrophic mechanical failure at a time of strong headwinds. Nice's air transport police said the men, who were directors of Herefordshire-based helicopter company Fly-Q, would have died instantly."
Aircraft first UK registered as G-CBVL on 23 August 2002. UK Registration G-CBVL cancelled by the CAA on 4 February 2011 as "Destroyed"
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
1. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hereford-worcester-11970524
2. CAA: https://siteapps.caa.co.uk/g-info/rk=CBVL
3. http://www.nicematin.com/article/derniere-minute/deux-morts-dans-un-nouveau-crash-dhelico-dans-les-alpes-maritimes [French text]
4. http://www.lefigaro.fr/flash-actu/2010/12/09/97001-20101209FILWWW00475-grasse-2-morts-dans-un-crash-d-helico.php [French text]
5. http://helihub.com/2010/12/09/09-dec-10-robinson-r22-tourrettes-sur-loup-france-2f/
6. https://www.bea.aero/docspa/2010/g-vl101209.en/pdf/g-vl101209.en.pdf
Location
Media:
G-CBVL at Newtownards
by Paul McAllister on netAirspace.com
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 11-Dec-2010 02:56 | sharla | Added |
| 11-Dec-2010 07:08 | sharla | Updated [Departure airport, Destination airport, Damage, Narrative] |
| 11-Dec-2010 14:51 | dens69 | Updated [Date, Time, Aircraft type, Registration, Cn, Operator, Phase, Departure airport, Destination airport] |
| 06-Oct-2016 22:43 | Dr.John Smith | Updated [Time, Operator, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Embed code, Narrative] |
| 21-Nov-2022 20:17 | Ron Averes | Updated [Location, Destination airport] |
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