History of the Flight
The pilot planned a private flight from a site near Strathaven to the Mull of Kintyre. After assessing the local weather and checking forecasts from Prestwick Airport, the pilot and a passenger took off around 1000 UTC on 16 September 2006. Climbing to about 500 ft agl, the helicopter entered cloud. The pilot descended to regain visual references, successfully making visual contact with the ground but finding considerably reduced visibility. He decided to make a forced landing in a field. During a run‑on landing, poor visibility prevented the pilot from seeing a hedgerow with trees. The fuselage passed between two trees, but the main rotor blades struck both, destabilizing the helicopter and causing structural disintegration. The severely damaged helicopter came to rest on its side about 50 m beyond the trees. Both occupants exited unassisted with minor injuries.
Weather
On the morning of the accident, the pilot checked weather from Prestwick Airport, which reported variable light winds, visibility over 10 km, and no cloud below 10,000 ft. The pilot made a local assessment, seeing hills about 15 km away to the southeast. Prestwick TAF and METAR indicated CAVOK conditions. However, a Met Office aftercast noted a moist low level easterly flow covering the Forth-Clyde valley and Scottish Borders, feeding low cloud, mist, and hill fog. It suggested good weather breaks may have existed around Strathaven/Prestwick, but low cloud likely advected toward the Strathaven area before the accident.
Analysis
The pilot relied on local observations and Prestwick reports. Prestwick, about 20 nm west, supported a view of suitable visibility and cloud base, but local observations could not detect fog or low cloud to the west. Without instrument flight training, upon entering cloud the pilot descended to regain visual conditions. Recognizing unsuitable weather, he initiated a precautionary landing. His unawareness of the hedge until too late indicated insufficient visibility for visual flight.
Conclusion
This accident highlights the difficulty of accurately judging local weather without suitable equipment, particularly regarding patchy fog or low cloud of uncertain base height. Caution is advised when such conditions exist.