AAIU Reports

SYNOPSIS

Approximately 5 minutes after OO-TYP took-off from Galway Airport, for a VFR flight to Saint-Ghislan, in Belgium, a member of the public reported to An Garda Síochána (Irish Police Force) that an aircraft had crashed in the Galway Cricket Grounds at Lydican, Oranmore, Galway.  The aircraft was later identified as OO-TYP.  The aircraft’s two occupants, Belgian Nationals, suffered fatal injuries. 

 Eyewitness reports, and analysis of the wreckage distribution, determined that the aircraft had spun out of cloud with a significant portion of its starboard wing missing. 

 The Investigation concluded that a possible attempted recovery manoeuvre by the Pilot, following loss of control due to disorientation from an intentional or inadvertent flight in Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IMC), sufficient to overload the wing structure, was most likely the cause of the wing failure.  Once the wing section had separated from the main body of the aircraft, the aircraft was unflyable and it spun to earth.

SYNOPSIS

The tail wheeled aircraft took off from a private airfield in Navan for a ferry flight to a neighbouring airfield at Athboy, a few miles distant. On climb out, the pilot attempted to correct a tendency to swing left with application of right rudder.  However, even full right rudder input failed to fully correct this tendency.  On landing at Athboy a crosswind weathercocked the aircraft to the left and with insufficient right rudder available to the pilot, the aircraft impacted a ditch and came to rest.  Subsequent investigation showed considerable play between the right pedal bolt and its attachment to the torque tube.

SYNOPSIS

Following the activation of the low rotor RPM warning horn, the Pilot carried out a heavier than normal landing on the grass adjacent to the runway.

SYNOPSIS

The helicopter was on a Visual Flight Rules (VFR) flight from New Ross, Co. Wexford, to its base near Galway Airport. En route, it entered an area of rising terrain and low cloud base, near Derrybrien, Co Galway. Radar tracking indicates that the helicopter slowed down, and then made a sharp turn before disappearing off the screen. The helicopter then suffered an in-flight collision with terrain directly after the loss of radar contact. A passenger died at the scene and the pilot died later in hospital. Another passenger survived with serious injuries. The probable cause was the pilot’s loss of spatial orientation resulting from inadequate visual reference with the ground due to limited visibility. The Report makes two Safety Recommendations.

SYNOPSIS

While conducting a routine winching training exercise on the Conningbeg Lightship, the hoist cable snagged, then sheared and recoiled under load back up towards the helicopter, where damage was inflicted to the main rotor blades and the cockpit canopy.  The helicopter recovered back to Waterford Airport (EIWF) without further incident.  The Winch Operator suffered a laceration injury to his hand.

SYNOPSIS

The aircraft was enroute to Cork Airport when the crew observed that No. 1 engine was producing progressively less power. The landing at Cork was routine and the passengers disembarked via the normal stairs. The crew discovered that No. 1 engine nacelle was leaking fuel. Further investigation revealed that the fuel was leaking from a pipe connection, which had become loose.