ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 55952
This information is added by users of ASN. Neither ASN nor the Flight Safety Foundation are responsible for the completeness or correctness of this information.
If you feel this information is incomplete or incorrect, you can submit corrected information.
| Date: | Thursday 18 September 1997 |
| Time: | c. 09:40 |
| Type: |  Robinson R22 Beta |
| Owner/operator: | Paramount Helicopters |
| Registration: | OO-LJR |
| MSN: | 1844 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1991 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | De Geer Horst Prison, Sittard, Limburg -
 Netherlands
|
| Phase: | Approach |
| Nature: | Illegal Flight |
| Departure airport: | Halen-in-Diest, Limburg, Belgium (EBHL) |
| Sittard, Limburg, Netherlands | |
| Investigating agency: | Dutch Safety Board |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information verified through data from accident investigation authorities |
The helicopter was stolen from the airport Halen in Diest in Belgium and appeared above the De Geer Horst penal institution in Sittard where, at that time, a number of detainees were held. The pilot flew over the courtyard and threw out a gun. Then the pilot turned the helicopter, flew to another corner of the courtyard and turned towards the north.
Remaining in a hover at a height of approximately 6 meters, the tail plane hit a lamp post, whereupon the helicopter tilted to the right and hit the ground. There was a fire. The pilot was killed, either on impact and/or the subsequent fire.
According to a contemporary press report (see link #4)
"Helicopter crashes into prison
By our correspondent
SITTARD, 18 SEPT. In a failed attempt to free a prisoner this morning a helicopter crashed around half past ten in the exercise yard of the penitentiary De Geer Horst in Sittard. In addition, the sole occupant, the pilot, were killed.
One of the prisoners at that time were in the yard was slightly injured. According to unconfirmed reports, it is a Colombian who was serving a sentence for drug trafficking. He was probably the one for whom the liberation effort was intended. He was treated for his injuries in the infirmary of the prison.
Construction workers who were working on a construction site next to the device, the helicopter low over the trees and saw a neighboring LOM school come flying. Then the helicopter circled above the prison and tried to land in the yard. In addition, in contact with a large light pole to the tail of the aircraft entered which is centrally provided on air, it is precisely in order to make it impossible for this kind of escapes by helicopter. "We heard two bangs and saw a big cloud of smoke, '' said one of the eyewitnesses.
The crashed aircraft was stolen last night in Hasselt, a Robinson R-22, which flew without registration. The pilot had filed, according to a spokesman for the Air Traffic Control, no flight plan. De Geer Horst is located two kilometers from the German and five kilometers from the Belgian border and is considered a modern, highly secure device which until recently was a temporary extra-secure device (Tebi)".
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
1. http://www.onderzoeksraad.nl/index.php/onderzoeken/verlies-van-beheersing-over-de-besturing-na-botsing-met-obstakel-97-63-a-19/
2. http://www.onderzoeksraad.nl/docs/rapporten/014_LV_1997-63-A-19_OO-LJR_Robinson_R22-B_Sittard.pdf
3. http://coptercrazy.brinkster.net/search/r22show.asp?start=1801&count=50
4. http://retro.nrc.nl/W2/Nieuws/1997/09/18/Vp/01.html
5. http://www.volkskrant.nl/politiek/helikopter-crasht-bij-vluchtpoging-gevangene-colombiaan-poogde-eerder-te-vluchten~a485504/
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 26-Dec-2008 10:47 | harro | Added |
| 20-Jan-2012 17:04 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Operator, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 22-Sep-2016 19:05 | Dr.John Smith | Updated [Operator, Location, Departure airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 28-Jun-2022 16:08 | harro | Updated [Category] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
Quick Links:
| ASN Home | Send Correction / Feedback |
| FSF Home | Disclaimer | Copyright |
| Contact Us | Privacy Policy |
| Press / Media |
CONNECT WITH US:
©2024 Flight Safety Foundation