Date:	Sunday 15 May 1977
Time:	09:57 UTC
Type:	Agusta-Bell AB 206B JetRanger
Owner/operator:	Ferranti Helicopters Ltd.
Registration:	G-AVSN
MSN:	8008
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 5 / Occupants: 5
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Category:	Accident
Location:	Biggin Hill Airport, Biggin Hill, Bromley, Kent -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Initial climb
Nature:	Passenger
Departure airport:	Biggin Hill Airport, Biggin Hill, Bromley, Kent (BQH/EGKB)
Destination airport:	Biggin Hill Airport, Biggin Hill, Bromley, Kent (BQH/EGKB)
Investigating agency:	AIB
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
The Biggin Hill Air Fair took place over the weekend of 14/15 May 1977. On the latter day Bell Jet Ranger helicopter G-AVSN, operated by Ferranti Helicopters, took off on a pleasure flight with a pilot and four passengers on board. As it climbed away, its departure path crossed with that of a non-radio equipped Tiger Moth, G-ANDE, (although it was flying in formation with a radio equipped aircraft) that was approaching to land on the newly cut grass landing strip parallel to the paved runway. At an altitude of between 70 and 100 feet the rotor blades of the Jet Ranger made contact with the undercarriage of the Tiger Moth. The blades of the Jet Ranger and the undercarriage of the Tiger Moth both detached as a result of their collision. The Jet Ranger fell to earth, nose first, landing on top of a Cessna 150. The Tiger Moth made a belly landing on the grass strip. All aboaad the Jet Ranger were killed and it was destroyed. The pilot and passenger of the Tiger Moth and the pilot of the Cessna were uninjured, both aeroplanes being severely damaged. The accident was investigated by the AIB, which subsequently produced a report. It was found that:

a) the pilot of the Tiger Moth was inadequately briefed, failed to give advance notification of his intention to use the grass strip (rather than the paved runway) and failed to keep an adequate look-out on his approach to land (although he had right of way over the Jet Ranger)
b) the pilot of the Jet Ranger failed to ensure that his lift-off path (over which he didn't have right of way) was clear of other aircraft
c) the operating area allocated to the Jet Ranger was inappropriate in that it was a distraction to pilots of aircraft landing and too close to the public enclosure
d) the ATC should have warned the helicopter pilot when it was apparent that the Tiger Moth intended to land on the nearer grass strip
e) the Air Fair organisers should have made clearer their position regarding acceptance of non-radio arrivals and the use of the grass strip.

1. Reading Evening Post - Monday 16 May 1977
2. Daily Mirror - Monday 16 May 1977
3. Belfast Telegraph - Wednesday 18 May 1977
4, Birmingham Daily Post - Thursday 21 July 1977
5. Hamburger Abendblatt 16 May 1977, p28
6. AAIB: https://www.gov.uk/aaib-reports/2-1978-agusta-bell-206b-g-avsn-and-dh82a-tiger-moth-g-ande-15-may-1977
7. CAA: http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/HistoricalMaterial/G-AVSN.pdf
8. https://www.pprune.org/rotorheads/417831-ferranti-helicopters.html
9. http://www.edendale.co.uk/MAIP/CORP.BC2.5.html
10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_Biggin_Hill_Airport#Accidents
11. https://www.planelogger.com/Aircraft/Registration/G-AVSN/866167
12. G-ASVN at Biggin Hill (EGKB) on 14/5/1977 (Day of the accident): https://abpic.co.uk/pictures/view/1151378
13. http://sussexhistoryforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=17282.0

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
17-May-2008 11:10	ASN archive	Added
26-Aug-2008 13:30	JINX	Updated
15-Jul-2012 14:09	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]
19-Aug-2012 16:25	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Location, Embed code]
13-Oct-2012 01:20	Anon.	Updated [Source, Embed code, Narrative]
06-Feb-2015 00:36	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Location, Source, Narrative]
18-Jul-2015 21:59	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative]
30-Mar-2016 19:17	TB	Updated [Source]
26-Mar-2017 15:20	tiger48	Updated [Narrative]
23-Nov-2020 17:10	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Accident report]
14-Nov-2022 12:36	harro	Updated [Narrative]