History of the Flight
The pilot planned a private flight from Aldwick, near Bristol Airport, to Padstow, Cornwall. He took off at 1320 hrs and the flight progressed uneventfully via Taunton and Okehampton, Devon. En route, he was in contact with Bristol Radar and Exeter Radar. At 1358 hrs, when the helicopter was north-east of Okehampton, the pilot was instructed to contact Newquay Radar. He returned to Exeter Radar at 1405 hrs, stating he was unable to contact Newquay. Exeter advised him to contact London Information, which he did at 1407 hrs when 6 nm north-west of Okehampton.
At 1418 hrs, when the helicopter was 24 nm north-west of Newquay Airport, London Information instructed the pilot to contact Newquay Radar. Shortly thereafter, the helicopter turned approximately 180º at about 1º/sec onto a north-easterly track and began to climb. At 1426 hrs, after establishing contact with Newquay Radar, the pilot requested help, saying he was 'LOST IN CLOUD'. He was assigned a transponder code, which he read back correctly. He then kept the transmit switch pressed, leaving his microphone live. After about 18 seconds of silence except for background noise, the pilot was heard talking to himself in an apparently distressed state before the transmission ended.
Radar information indicated that the helicopter then descended rapidly before crashing in a field 2 nm south-south-east of Marhamchurch, near Bude, Devon. The pilot was fatally injured in the impact. There was a post-impact fire.
Weather Information
It was not possible to determine what weather forecasts the pilot viewed prior to the accident. The Met Office forecast F215 for 1400-2300 hrs predicted visibility of 20 km, occasionally 7 km in haze and light drizzle, with isolated visibility of 2,000 m in mist and drizzle and occasional 200 m visibility in fog in area C1. Hill fog was also expected.
An aftercast for the entire route indicated that at takeoff, weather was good at Aldwick. As the flight progressed south-west, no significant deterioration was expected until the Okehampton area, where there was likely an overcast layer at about 2,000 ft amsl with broken or overcast stratocumulus. Below cloud, visibility between 3,500 m and 7 km at times due to drizzle. Further west, conditions deteriorated with extensive low cloud and poor visibility (2,000 to 5,000 m), and a lower cloud base of 300-500 ft amsl near the coast between Boscastle and Bude. Hill fog increased as a hazard.
Witness Information
Witnesses heard the helicopter approximately one minute before the accident. They saw it emerge from cloud in a 'steep' nose-down attitude at 'high speed'. After what was described as a possible recovery attempt, the helicopter crashed into a field. Witnesses described the weather as 'good visibility' below a cloud base of approximately 500 ft agl.
Accident Site
The helicopter was completely destroyed in the impact and much of the fuselage consumed by a post-crash fire. The wreckage was located in a field and on the adjacent road at an elevation of about 180 ft. A ground mark 1.6 m x 2.6 m indicated the main impact point. Ground marks from the vertical stabiliser, tail rotor gearbox, tail rotor guard and rotating tail rotor blades were evident. The left landing skid left a 9 cm deep mark, the right 2 cm. Two curved ground marks 0.16 m and 0.21 m deep were consistent with main rotor blades striking the ground. The landing skids and hoops separated. The horizontal and vertical stabiliser assembly separated from the tail boom. The main rotor blades, still attached to the hub, were found 78 m from impact. The main rotor gearbox and mast came to rest in the adjacent road 88 m from impact. Post-crash fire started at the initial impact point; the battery was a likely ignition source. Both fuel tanks were ruptured.
Aircraft Information
The Robinson R44 Raven II is a four-seat helicopter with a single Lycoming IO-540-AE1A5 piston engine, certified for VFR operations only. It has skid landing gear and conventional flight controls. Power is transmitted via four rubber 'vee-belts'.
Pilot Experience
The pilot held a Private Pilot's Licence (Helicopter). He had 2,851 hours total flying experience, of which 221 were on type. His last logbook entry was in October 2010. He conducted training in the UK and South Africa, including 6 hours of instrument appreciation flying required for a JAA PPL(H). He passed a JAA Licence Skills Test in September 2010, but his application was rejected due to an expired South African test. He renewed his South African test in September 2010 but had not informed the CAA.
Medical and Toxicology
The pilot held a valid JAA Class 2 medical certificate. Post-mortem examination concluded death due to multiple injuries from high-speed impact. Toxicology tests revealed no drugs or alcohol.