What happened
On 5 September 2022, a Bell 206B helicopter, registration G-TOYZ, was conducting commercial passenger sightseeing flights at West Usk Lighthouse in Newport, Gwent. The operation utilized a temporary site featuring a passenger waiting area enclosed by a rope cordon.
During the ninth flight of the day, at approximately 1110 UTC, the pilot was performing a landing when the combination of wind and rotor downwash caused a 2 kg sign to break free from its mountings. The sign struck a passenger waiting near the gate, resulting in a cut to their lower leg that required stitches. There were no fatalities and no injuries to the crew, though one passenger required medical attention.
The investigation
The AAIB investigation established that the site setup on the previous day had been disrupted by escaped livestock, which caused ground staff to work under significant time pressure and distraction. Consequently, the sign was only secured with two plastic cable ties on the top corners, rather than the standard four-corner attachment method.
Furthermore, the investigation found that no formal check of the site's safety or the security of the signage was performed on the morning of the incident, despite the site having been left overnight during a period of predicted strong winds.
Findings
- The ground crew failed to properly secure the sign due to distraction and time pressure during the initial site setup.
- The sign was inadequately fastened with only two cable ties instead of the usual four.
- The force generated by the helicopter's downwash and the prevailing wind was sufficient to break the plastic ties.
- There was no established procedure to inspect the safety of the site or the stability of equipment before commencing daily operations.