ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 59042
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| Date: | Sunday 29 March 2009 |
| Time: | 14:14 |
| Type: |  Robinson R44 Raven |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | G-EKKO |
| MSN: | 0821 |
| Year of manufacture: | 2000 |
| Engine model: | Lycoming o-540-F1B5 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Swansea Airport, Fairwood Common, Swansea -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | Take off |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Swansea Airport, Fairwood Common (SWS/EGFH) |
| Investigating agency: | AAIB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
Written off (damaged beyond repair) 29-03-2009: Pilot reportedly lost control on take-off. Aircraft veered left and rotor struck ground. Minor injuries to the two Persons On Board. The Western Mail newspaper reported that the two people in the helicopter were taken to Morriston Hospital in Swansea, where the male passenger – believed to be the owner of the aircraft – received treatment for serious head injuries. The pilot suffered minor head injuries. According to the following excerpt from the official AAIB report into the accident:
"The pilot and owner were seen completing a walk-round check of the aircraft, which was positioned on the airport apron. They then boarded the aircraft, the pilot occupying the front right seat and the owner the front left. Shortly afterwards the aircraft was heard to start and, with the rotors running, the owner requested departure instructions over the radio for a VFR flight to the west. The weather at the time was reported as good with a wind of 160 degrees at 8 knots.
The owner then called “LIFTING”. The engine noise was heard to increase and, with the aircraft still on the ground, it began to rotate to the left. It continued to rotate at an increasingly rapid rate, completing approximately five rotations. The aircraft then pitched forwards until the main rotor blades came into contact with the tarmac and the aircraft rolled onto its left side, the tail rotor and empennage separating from the fuselage.
The pilot was able to climb out of the aircraft through his door and he assisted the owner out of the aircraft through the broken windscreen. Both men were injured, the owner receiving serious injuries. The airfield fire and rescue service was quickly in attendance and spread foam on fuel that had leaked from the aircraft.
During the accident sequence pieces of the rotor blades were projected over 100 metres from the main wreckage. Despite several people being in the vicinity of the aircraft, no third party was injured."
Nature of Damage sustained to airframe: Per the AAIB report "Aircraft destroyed". As a resutl, the registration G-EKKO was cancelled by the CAA as "Permanently Withdrawn From Use" on 11-12-2009
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
1. AAIB: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5422eec4ed915d1374000239/Robinson_R44_Raven__G-EKKO_02-10.pdf
2. CAA: https://publicapps.caa.co.uk/modalapplication.aspx?catid=1&pagetype=65&appid=1&mode=reg&fullregmark=EKKO
3. http://www.griffin-helicopters.co.uk/accidentdetails.aspx?accidentkey=50431
4. http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/helicopter-crashes-at-swansea-airport-2120793
5. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/7970947.stm
6. https://www.pprune.org/rotorheads/367852-incident-swansea-airport.html
7. http://helihub.com/2009/03/29/29-mar-09-g-ekko-robinson-r44-swansea-uk/
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 29-Mar-2009 11:43 | slowkid | Added |
| 29-Mar-2009 22:46 | JINX | Updated |
| 11-Feb-2010 01:47 | harro | Updated [Time, Phase, Source, Narrative] |
| 10-Sep-2012 15:38 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Source, Embed code, Damage, Narrative] |
| 24-Apr-2014 10:16 | TB | Updated [Source, Embed code, Narrative] |
| 23-Dec-2014 21:08 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Location, Source, Narrative] |
| 23-Aug-2015 23:59 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Embed code] |
| 03-Nov-2016 14:09 | Dr.John Smith | Updated [Operator, Departure airport, Source, Narrative] |
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