History of the Flight
On 13 March 2014, a private helicopter flight was planned from a landing site at Gillingham Hall, Norfolk, to Coventry Airport. The helicopter, an Agusta Westland AW139 (registration G-LBAL), was operated by two pilots and carried the owner and another passenger. The intended departure time was 1830 hrs, but the passengers were not ready until around 1920 hrs. By then, dense fog had set in, with witnesses reporting visibility of tens of metres.
Shortly before departure, the cockpit voice recorder captured a conversation in which one pilot expressed discomfort about departing, while the other noted that the moon was still visible. The co-pilot escorted the passengers and informed the commander that if further delay occurred, departure would not be possible. Engines were started at approximately 1922 hrs.
The commander briefed a vertical departure: he would take the helicopter to the centre of the field, climb vertically, and then engage the strobe light. No details were given on transitioning to forward flight, and no heights or speeds were mentioned.
The helicopter lifted from the helipad at 1924 hrs and hover-taxied to the middle of the paddock. It began climbing almost vertically, but at about 32 ft above ground level, the pitch attitude changed from slightly nose-up to nose-down. The helicopter continued climbing while gaining forward speed.
At approximately 120 ft and a nose-down pitch of 15°, the co-pilot remarked “nose down [commander’s first name]”. This was followed by more forward cyclic input. The helicopter crossed boundary trees and began descending with increasing speed. Collective was progressively increased, raising engine torques. The co-pilot repeated the phrase, and further nose-down inputs were made. Cyclic inputs became erratic, with one aft input recorded in the final seconds. The nose-down pitch peaked at 35° before reducing as the helicopter descended through 100 ft. Collective reached 100%, engine torques increased, but rotor speed dropped below the nominal 102%. The last recorded data showed a pitch of 25° at 82 ft, descending at 2,400 ft/min and 90 kt ground speed.
The helicopter struck a line of large hay bales in a field. The cabin was destroyed, and all four occupants received fatal injuries. The Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System recorded a descent rate of 1,458 ft/min and a mode 3 alert. The final torques were 142% and 158% for left and right engines; rotor speed fell below 95% before impact.
Previous Flights
Earlier that day, the helicopter and crew departed a private site in Northern Ireland at 1210 hrs, stopping at another private site and at Peterborough Conington for refuelling (1,201 litres of Avtur). They departed Conington at 1535 hrs and arrived at Gillingham Hall around 1720 hrs. During the flight, the pilots discussed the weather. The commander stated he would check the weather upon reaching Norwich and inform the owner. The co-pilot expressed concern about potential consequences.
Witness Information
Witnesses reported vehicular traffic on roads near the paddock. One driver saw the helicopter fly over after turning from Raveningham Road onto Yarmouth Road. At Gillingham Hall, eyewitnesses observed the departure, and one recorded a smartphone video. In the recording, a witness commented on the fog depth and that no stars were visible. The helicopter’s anti-collision beacon, navigation lights, and landing light were visible.
Recorded Data
The combined Cockpit Voice and Flight Data Recorder (CVFDR) captured over 25 hours of data and 2 hours of audio. It contained recordings of the accident flight from 1920 hrs, including crew communications. The recorder’s independent power supply preserved audio after power loss, but only mechanical sounds were identifiable.
Data were also recovered from the EGPWS, engine Data Collection Units, and a Central Maintenance Computer card. The EGPWS recorded parameters every second for the last 20 seconds. Engine DCUs recorded event-driven snapshots before and during impact. Autopilot Attitude Mode and Yaw Heading Hold were active throughout; no flight director modes were selected. Trim release switches were active. The heading remained between 297° and 305° from prior to the vertical climb until impact.
Flight Profile
The flight path showed a nearly vertical climb to about 32 ft, then a nose-down pitch increase. The helicopter crossed the paddock boundary at approximately 120 ft, then descended rapidly. Impact occurred in a field after crossing trees. The accident site is shown in Figure 1 of the report.