What happened
On 3 June 2014, an Enstrom 280C Shark, registration G-IDUP, was involved in an accident at Northampton/Sywell Aerodrome during a private flight. The pilot had intended to refuel the helicopter before returning to a private operating site. After receiving clearance from ATC, the pilot performed a hover-taxi from a grass parking area to the airfield's refuelling point.
The weather conditions were favorable, with visibility exceeding 10 km and a light 7-knot wind. While approaching the fuel pumps, the pilot maintained a skid height of approximately 4 feet. To ensure the fuel hose could reach the aircraft's right-side filler, the pilot yawed the helicopter 90 degrees to the right and repositioned the aircraft slightly to the left. As the pilot began a descent to land parallel to the pumps, the tips of the main rotor blades struck the overhanging roof of a single-storey building adjacent to the pumps. The pilot immediately landed the aircraft, shut down the engine, and isolated the fuel and electrical systems. There were no injuries to the pilot, though the aircraft sustained damage to the fuselage, rotor blades, and a shock-loaded gearbox.
The investigation
Investigators examined the layout of the refuelling area and the available aeronautical information. It was noted that the aerodrome operator utilized specific white line markings around the refuelling area and near a drainage channel to provide positioning guidance for helicopters. However, this information was not documented in the United Kingdom Aeronautical Information Publication (UKAIP) or standard commercial flight guides.
The UKAIP for Sywell Aerodrome only advised caution regarding wing tip clearance and noted that aircraft should not block access to the refuelling area or hangar gates. The pilot's consulted flight guide similarly stated that there were no apron markings and that parking was at the pilot's discretion. The investigation established that the building's roof overhang was positioned outside the pilot's forward field of view once the aircraft had been yawed to the new position.