What happened
On 30 August 2008, a private flight was underway from Plymouth to Dunkeswell. The pilot had obtained a weather forecast from Plymouth ATC earlier that morning; however, this specific forecast was only valid from 1400 hrs. After contacting Dunkeswell to confirm current conditions and observing clear visibility from Plymouth, the pilot proceeded with the flight.
During the transit across Dartmoor, the pilot encountered several patches of low stratus cloud, necessitating multiple deviations to maintain clearance from the cloud base. At approximately 1120 hrs, due to the lowering cloud base and deteriorating visibility, the pilot decided to perform a precautionary landing. The pilot selected a site at Hay Tor, Dartmoor. While the landing area appeared to consist of shallow heather, the aircraft actually entered deep gorse bushes. This caused the Enstrom 280FX Shark, registration G-BYSW, to sink into the vegetation and roll to the left. The incident resulted in one minor injury to the pilot. The aircraft sustained damage to the left side of the fuselage and all rotor blades.
The investigation
The investigation examined the pilot's decision-making process and the meteorological information available prior to departure. It was established that the pilot relied on a Met Form 215 that was not yet valid for the time of departure. The investigation also looked into the physical characteristics of the landing site and the impact of the terrain on the aircraft's stability during the touchdown.