What happened
On the afternoon of 18 September 2008, a private Sikorsky S-76B helicopter, registration N399BH, was involved in a serious accident in the village of Bettystown, Co. Meath. After an initial landing on a nearby beach, the pilot decided to reposition the aircraft to a local hotel car park to move away from a growing crowd of onlookers.
During the vertical descent into the car park, the left rear portion of the main rotor disk struck a five-meter-high steel lamppost. The impact dislodged a light fitting and caused the helicopter to lose control, resulting in a violent clockwise rotation and a roll to the left. Upon hitting the ground, the main rotor disintegrated, and the aircraft was immediately consumed by an intense post-crash fire. While the pilot managed to exit the wreckage unaided, the aircraft was completely destroyed. The pilot and two bystanders sustained minor injuries.
The investigation
The AAIU investigation examined the circumstances surrounding the landing site selection and the flight profile. Investigators reviewed video evidence from security cameras and mobile phones, as well as cockpit voice recordings. The inquiry looked into the suitability of the car park, the pilot's decision-making process regarding the repositioning, and the technical aspects of the rotor impact. The investigation also noted that the pilot reported an engine fire warning during the descent, though no evidence was found to support the occurrence of a technical failure.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was the main rotor contacting a lamppost during a vertical descent into a confined and unsuitable landing site.
- The chosen car park was too small and did not meet the size specifications required by the aircraft's Flight Manual.
- The landing site was located in an inappropriate, congested area in the center of a village.
- The vertical landing was attempted without the necessary crew complement or required competency.
- The approach profile used by the pilot did not comply with the requirements set out in the Flight Manual.
- The pilot did not perform a physical inspection of the car park on foot before attempting the repositioning maneuver.