ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 169061
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| Date: | Wednesday 14 August 1996 |
| Time: | 17:15 |
| Type: |  Robinson R22B |
| Owner/operator: | Helifly Ireland Ltd |
| Registration: | G-CLYV |
| MSN: | 1677 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1991 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Killary Harbour, County Galway -
 Ireland
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Tully Cross, County Galway |
| Galway Airport, Carnmore (GWY/EICM) | |
| Investigating agency: | AAIU |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
UK Reportable Accident: Engine power loss, Auto-rotative ditching in sea. No injuries. Irish authority investigation. Suspected Carburettor Icing. Automatically inflating life jackets impeded exit. According to the following official AAIU IE report:
"On several occasions during the cruise, the helicopter showed a tendency to yaw to the left. As all indications remained normal, the pilot elected to continue at reduced power. However, following two successive left yaws, the engine appeared to backfire and began to lose power. Due to steep terrain in the immediate area the pilot was forced to carry out a landing on water, about 20 feet from the shore line.
The aircraft sank immediately, in approximately 3 metres of water. The pilot and passenger successfully evacuated the aircraft uninjured but their escape was partially impeded by life jackets, which were carried in the aircraft but were not worn during the flight. The life jackets inflated automatically as the aircraft sank, thereby restricting egress through the relatively small doors of the R22.
Although the aircraft suffered little structural damage the effects of immersion in salt water resulted in it being written off. Investigation found no evidence of a technical failure and it was concluded that the most probable cause of the power loss was carburettor icing, to which the prevailing weather conditions (temperature 15 degrees C, dew point 11 degrees C) were highly conducive. The R22 flight manual contains a Safety Notice SN-25, warning pilots of the dangers of carburettor icing in temperatures below 16 degrees C and pointing out that carburettor heating is ineffective when power is reduced.
AAIU Report No. 1998/015 contains three Safety Recommendations:
1. Pilots of light piston engined aircraft, and in particular helicopters, need to be aware of the dangers posed by carburettor icing, even in moderately warm conditions. Consideration of AIC NR 11/97, "Induction System Icing on Piston Engines as Fitted to Aeroplanes, Helicopters and Airships", issued by the IAA, is recommended. (SR 17 of 1998);
2. The IAA should warn pilots of the dangers to impeded egress posed by automatically inflating life jackets. (SR 18 of 1998);
3. While probably of no relevance to this accident, the manufacturers of the R22 should consider modification of the fuel shut-off valve to prevent inadvertent closure in flight. (SR 19 of 1998)."
No injuries reported by the two persons on board (pilot and one passenger). Aircraft presumably written off (damaged beyond repair) due to extended immersion in sea water, as the UK registration G-CLYV was cancelled by the UK CAA on 30-09-1997 as "Destroyed"
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
1. AAIU IE: http://www.aaiu.ie/sites/default/files/report-attachments/3984-REPORT_1998_015-0_0.PDF
2. CAA: https://siteapps.caa.co.uk/g-info/rk=CLYV
3. http://www.griffin-helicopters.co.uk/accidentdetails.aspx?accidentkey=86
4. https://www.flyinginireland.com/aaiu.php?pageNum_aaiu=37&totalRows_aaiu=384
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 23-Aug-2014 14:46 | Aerossurance | Added |
| 22-Sep-2016 16:53 | Dr.John Smith | Updated [Operator, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 22-Sep-2016 16:54 | Dr.John Smith | Updated [Damage] |
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