ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 44434
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| Date: | Saturday 9 July 2005 |
| Time: | 10:44 UTC |
| Type: |  Robinson R44 Raven I |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | EI-DOC |
| MSN: | 1400 |
| Year of manufacture: | 2004 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 3 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Derrybrien, Cashlaunrumlahan, Slieve Aughty Mountains, County Galway -
 Ireland
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Private Hotel Helipad, New Ross, County Wexford |
| Galway Airport (EICM) | |
| Investigating agency: | AAIU |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
On September 7, 2005, at 10:44 UTC a privately owned Robinson R44 helicopter, registration number EI-DOC, was on a visual flight rule (VFR) flight returning to its base near Galway Airport (GWY/EICM), Ireland having over-nighted in New Ross, Co Wexford, Ireland when it cashed into a mountainside. The flight was tracked by Shannon Radar, maintaining a direct flight path towards Galway. As the helicopter’s transponder was set to Alpha mode, the radar did not record the its altitude. Shortly before the accident, the pilot made a routine radio communication with another helicopter at Galway airport. This was the last known communication from helicopter. The Shannon radar plot shows the helicopter maintained its track passing over the Slieve Aughty Mountains and as it approached the summit area at Cashlaunrumlahan, its speed reduced significantly. The final radar returns showed a sharp turn to the right and the signal then disappeared.
The helicopter struck trees in the Slieve Aughty Mountains, northeast of Cashlaunrumlahan, Ireland followed by ground impact in a dense forest. The pilot used a mobile phone to raise the alarm. Two Galway-based helicopters responded, as did the Shannon-based Coastguard S-61 and ground-based emergency services. The occupants were located and evacuated to hospital about one hour after the accident.
Preliminary examination of the helicopter shows no evidence of pre-impact failure. Several reports have been received by the investigation indicating poor visibility and low cloud in the area at the time of the accident. A total of three people were on board.
Two of the helicopter’s three occupants were killed in the crash. They were passenger Mark Reilly, a publican and father of three from Galway city and pilot, Damien Bergin from Castlerlakeney, Co Galway who both died from injuries sustained in the crash. Another passenger, Mike Givens from Oranmore, Co Galway, received serious injuries but survived. Contemporary press report (see links below) indicate that the pilot was the one whom raised the alarm using his mobile 'phone.
The helicopter was destroyed. The pilot operated the helicopter under the provisions of the Irish civil aviation regulations as a personal flight. The flight departed from a Private Hotel Helipad at New Ross, County Wexford, and was destined for a helipad adjacent to Galway Airport (EICM).
En route, it entered an area of rising terrain and low cloud base, near Derrybrien, Co Galway. Radar tracking indicates that the helicopter slowed down, and then made a sharp turn before disappearing off the screen. The helicopter then suffered an in-flight collision with terrain directly after the loss of radar contact. A report by the Department of Transport’s Air Accident Investigation Unit shows that the helicopter was flying well below the required altitude of 500ft in poor visibility at the time of the crash.
One passenger died at the scene and the pilot died later in hospital. Another passenger survived with serious injuries. The probable cause was the pilot’s loss of spatial orientation resulting from inadequate visual reference with the ground due to limited visibility
CAUSE: Pilot´s spatial disorientation in low visibility after losing sight of the ground.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
1. NTSB Identification: ENG06WA011 at http://www.ntsb.gov/about/employment/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/brief2.aspx?ev_id=20090617X33215&ntsbno=ENG06WA011&akey=1
2. http://www.aaiu.ie/node/175
3. https://www.irishtimes.com/news/report-issued-on-fatal-galway-chopper-crash-1.1181178
4. https://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/poor-visibility-lead-to-fatal-helicopter-crash-official-investigation-concludes-14688.html
5. http://www.munster-express.ie/local-news/pilot-passenger-killed-on-return-from-tall-ships/
6. https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/tribute-to-pilot-who-died-saving-friend-25950055.html
7. https://www.pressreader.com/ireland/irish-independent/20051203/281882998746029
8. http://forum.flyinginireland.com/viewtopic.php?t=891
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 28-Oct-2008 00:45 | ASN archive | Added |
| 10-Jul-2009 08:56 | slowkid | Updated |
| 08-Sep-2009 10:27 | Anon. | Updated |
| 03-Sep-2016 00:20 | Dr.John Smith | Updated [Time, Source, Narrative] |
| 22-Oct-2018 01:16 | Dr.John Smith | Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Cn, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 22-Oct-2018 19:52 | Dr.John Smith | Updated [Location, Narrative] |
| 06-Aug-2021 06:38 | Awat | Updated [Source] |
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