Date:	Sunday 17 July 2016
Time:	18:00 LT
Type:	Sud Aviation SE 3130 Alouette II
Owner/operator:	Private
Registration:	HA-PPC
MSN:	1500
Year of manufacture:	1995
Engine model:	Lycoming TIO-540-AE2A
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 5
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Category:	Accident
Location:	Breighton Airfield, Selby, North Yorkshire -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Landing
Nature:	Private
Departure airport:	Breighton Airfield (EGBR)
Destination airport:	Breighton Airfield (EGBR)
Investigating agency:	AAIB
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
AAIB investigation to Sud-Aviation SE-313B Alouette II, HA-PPC: Tail boom struck by main rotor blades, Breighton Aerodrome, Yorkshire, 17 July 2016

The helicopter crashed while landing on runway 28. Five people were hurt in the incident. North Yorkshire Fire Service said the casualties, all male, were out of the helicopter when rescuers arrived. They had suffered various head, back, chest and leg injuries. Two were taken by air ambulance to hospital (one to Leeds General Hospital and the other to Hull Royal Infirmary). The other three were being taken to hospital by ambulance. All four passengers had serious injuries. The pilot however died in hospital of complications later in July.

=AAIB Observations=
It was suggested by outside observers that it was possible that the accident resulted from the tail skid striking the ground. However, there is no evidence that the tail skid came into contact with the ground prior to or during the accident.

The engine manufacturer could find no records that the overhaul had been carried out by one of their approved organisations. However, the engine performance or condition was not a causal or contributory factor.

=AAIB Conclusion=
The helicopter was well maintained, serviceable and in good condition prior to the accident. All the damage to the helicopter’s structure, its components and systems is attributable to the main rotor disc striking the tail boom structure in the vicinity of the stabiliser cross tube. There was no evidence of pre-accident defects of the flying controls or transmission system which could have led to the rotor disc colliding with the tail boom, therefore it probably occurred as result of control inputs.

The helicopter was close to or above the MAUW (Maximum All Up Weight) of 1,588 kg (3,500 lb). Also, the Centre of Gravity was towards the forward limit of the allowable range detailed in the Flight Manual, thus the margin of clearance of the rotor disc from the tail boom in flight may have been reduced, increasing the risk of the disc striking the tail boom.

It is probable that whilst a quick stop was carried out, coarse control inputs associated with the dynamic manoeuvre caused the main rotor disc to contact the tail boom.

=Damage to airframe=
Per the AAIB Report "aircraft destroyed".

As noted above, while all five on board survived the initial impact, the pilot - named in later media reports as Nigel Feetham, aged 36 - died on July 23 2016 of injuries sustained (see links #14 & #15). According to the Hull Daily Mail (8 January 2020 - see link #16) reporting on the inquest that was held into the death of the pilot

"A public inquest held at Hull Coroner’s Court on Wednesday" [January 8 2020] "heard how Beverley-born Mr Feetham, who set up his own successful IT company at the age of 15, underwent an operation to fuse his vertebrae and after several days was “looking well”, with family and friends expecting him to return home once recovered.

Tragically, he deteriorated rapidly after being checked by a nurse, and died from a suspected blood clot on the lung.

A Home Office pathologist present at the inquest stated DVT" [Deep Vein Thrombosis] "was found in Mr Feetham’s left calf, as well as a pulmonary embolism in his lungs, with neither clots thought to be over five days old".

Breighton Aerodrome is a private aerodrome primarily used for general aviation flying located on the former RAF Breighton, a former Royal Air Force station located near to the village of Breighton, East Riding of Yorkshire, England.

1. AAIB Final Report: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/593ff84740f0b63e0b000263/Sud-Aviation_SE-313B_Alouette_II_HA-PPC_07-17.pdf
2. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/jul/17/yorkshire-helicopter-crash-leaves-five-seriously-injured
3. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-36821157
4. https://www.humberside.police.uk/news/helicopter-crash
5. https://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/five-casualties-in-helicopter-crash-at-breighton-airfield-near-howden/story-29522152-detail/story.html mis-identifies the aircraft as an ex-Army Gazelle
6. https://www.flickr.com/photos/dwhitworth/27762765350
7. https://www.itv.com/news/calendar/story/2016-07-18/five-injured-after-helicopter-crash-at-breighton-airfield/
8. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3694640/Five-casualties-helicopter-crashes-Yorkshire-aerodrome.html
9. https://www.pprune.org/rotorheads/581693-helicopter-crash-breighton-aerodrome.html
10. https://metro.co.uk/2016/07/17/five-casualties-as-helicopter-crashes-in-yorkshire-6012389/
11. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-36894643
12. http://www.itv.com/news/calendar/update/2016-07-26/breighton-airfield-helicopter-crash-victim-dies/
13. https://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/man-dies-from-injuries-after-breighton-helicopter-crash/story-29551666-detail/story.html
14. https://www.itv.com/news/calendar/2016-07-27/tributes-paid-to-breighton-airfield-helicopter-crash-pilot
15. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-36894643
16. https://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/news/hull-east-yorkshire-news/nigel-feetham-helicopter-crash-inquest-3718780
17. https://www.planelogger.com/Aircraft/Registration/XP967/
18. https://www.alouettelama.com/msn/a2-1401/A2-1500.html
19. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breighton_Aerodrome#Current_use.

Aerospatiale SE3130 Alouette II c/no 1500. First flown in France in November 1960, with the manufacturer\\'s temporary registration F-WIEQ. Acquired for the British Army Air Corps (AAC) for evaluation as a possible replacement for the Saro Skeeter in December 1960. Delivered to Middle Wallop as part of evaluation order for five Alouettes together with XN132, XN133, XP966 and XR232. For military evaluation purposes it was given the military serial XP967.

First issued for service to Army Air Corps, 12 Independant Liaison Flight AAC, Wildenrath, West Germany 21 December 1960. On 29 June 1983, issued to Army Air Corps, 16 Flight AAC, UNFICYP (UN Forces in Cyprus); operated for UN from Nicosia, Cyprus, as a replacement for XR380 (which crashed 11 June 1983)

Withdrawn from use in December 1988, and stored at RNAY Wroughton, Wiltshire pending disposal. Struck off charge 9 March 1990; total flying time on airframe at this point 8293 hours.

XP967 was sold off for civilian use, being UK registered as G-BSFN on 30 May 1990. After three successive owners as G-BSFN, the helicopter was re-registered as G-UGLY on 7 June 2000. After a further three successive UK-based owners as G-UGLY, the UK registration was cancelled on 13 March 2007 as "Transferred to another country or authority - Hungary". The helicopter then acquired the Hungarian civil registration HA-PPC, although it was flying at the date of the above crash in its former AAC markings as XP967

Photo: (c) AAIB

BBC Look North (BBC Yorkshire) TV News Report 17 July 2016

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
17-Jul-2016 18:14	Dr.John Smith	Added
17-Jul-2016 18:18	Dr.John Smith	Updated [Time, Source, Embed code, Narrative]
17-Jul-2016 18:37	Dr.John Smith	Updated [Date, Embed code]
17-Jul-2016 19:54	Anon.	Updated [Aircraft type, Source]
17-Jul-2016 19:55	harro	Updated [Aircraft type]
17-Jul-2016 20:06	Dr.John Smith	Updated [Operator, Source, Narrative]
17-Jul-2016 20:13	Dr.John Smith	Updated [Registration, Cn, Source, Narrative]
17-Jul-2016 20:14	Dr.John Smith	Updated [Damage]
17-Jul-2016 20:19	Dr.John Smith	Updated [Registration, Cn, Operator, Source, Narrative]
17-Jul-2016 20:25	Dr.John Smith	Updated [Phase, Nature, Source, Embed code, Narrative]
17-Jul-2016 20:45	Aerossurance	Updated [Time, Operator, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Embed code, Narrative]
17-Jul-2016 20:51	Aerossurance	Updated [Registration, Operator, Source, Narrative]
18-Jul-2016 06:13	gipsymagpie	Updated [Registration, Operator, Narrative]
18-Jul-2016 06:20	helispotter	Updated [Registration, Cn, Operator]
18-Jul-2016 06:20	harro	Updated [Source, Narrative]
18-Jul-2016 08:12	Aerossurance	Updated [Operator, Source, Narrative]
22-Jul-2016 08:42	Anon.	Updated [Cn]
26-Jul-2016 10:16	Aerossurance	Updated [Source, Narrative]
26-Jul-2016 19:01	Anon.	Updated [Total fatalities]
26-Jul-2016 19:02	harro	Updated [Source]
26-Jul-2016 19:16	Dr.John Smith	Updated [Source, Narrative]
26-Jul-2016 19:17	Dr.John Smith	Updated [Narrative]
29-Jul-2016 18:22	Aerossurance	Updated [Source, Narrative]
03-Aug-2016 08:29	rvargast17	Updated [Aircraft type, Narrative]
13-Jul-2017 14:14	Aerossurance	Updated [Time, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]
13-Jul-2017 19:14	harro	Updated [Embed code, Photo, ]
05-Apr-2024 14:49	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Embed code, Narrative, Category]
05-Apr-2024 14:49	ASN	Updated [[Source, Embed code, Narrative, Category]]
07-Apr-2024 07:56	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source]
22-Apr-2024 06:07	Dr. John Smith	Updated [[Source]]