Window Loss Incident
On 7 October 2022, an AgustaWestland AW139, registration G-SNSI, departed from Den Helder Airport on a post-maintenance check flight. During the flight, the flight crew noticed an increase in noise level and airflow from the left-hand side. The left-hand acrylic window had fallen from the helicopter. The crew maintained control and landed without further incident at Den Helder Airport. The window was recovered. No persons on the ground were injured, and no third-party property was damaged. The Dutch Safety Board decided to discontinue its investigation and reclassified the occurrence as an incident. The operator conducted an internal investigation and identified several contributing factors regarding maintenance of the window, from which lessons can be learned.
Ground Loop Accident
On 19 April 2023, at Lemelerveld glider airfield, a PZL-Bielsko SZD-51-1 "Junior", registration PH-934, was preparing for a winch launch from Runway 09. The wind was east-north-easterly at approximately 10 knots. The pilot was the sole occupant. After the glider started its takeoff and the wing walker released the wing tip, the wings were horizontal. After approximately 10 metres, the left-hand wing tilted downwards. The wing tip caught in the grass, causing the aircraft to ground loop and come to rest upside down. The pilot reported not noticing the tip touching the ground; he released the winch cable when he saw the right-hand wing tip rising. The pilot suffered minor injuries. The aircraft sustained severe damage. The pilot had a total glider experience of 198 takeoffs and 54 hours flying, of which 42 takeoffs and 14 hours were in the aircraft type. The gliding club conducted an investigation and shared the results with the Dutch Safety Board. The occurrence was classified as an accident.