Latest Accident Reports

05-Jun-12 MD Helicopters 500E Columbus, US-Ohio

Precautionary landing in public park after warning light illuminated... Read more

05-Jun-12 10-08079 Boeing CH-47F Hadley, US-Massachusetts

Precautionary landing on flight out of the Army Support Facility in Windsor Locks, CT.  Pilot had noticed unusual engine noise and seen smoke... Read more

04-Jun-12 N427AL Bell 427 Indiantown, US-Florida

Hit buzzard in flight, emergency landing ended up with helicopter on its side.  5 POB to hospital as a precautionary measure, but not seriously injured.  Helicopter registered to Southern Aviation Systems, but address points to this being linked to corporate operator Southern Waste Systems... Read more

04-Jun-12 Schweizer S333 San Antonio, US-Texas

San Antonio Police aircraft declared emergency landing during night patrol.... Read more

04-Jun-12 Mil Mi-17 Chiyanki, India

Emergency landing after engine failure.  14 POB... Read more

02-Jun-12 N406LH Eurocopter AS355F1 New London, US-Connecticut

Helicopter landed on beach after encountering fog... Read more

01-Jun-12 C-FBHN Eurocopter AS350B2 Terrace, Canada (3F)

Three killed in mountainous area, all employees of Bailey Helicopters.  Pilot named as Peter Bryant, 45 and passengers Blake Erickson, 48, and Arnaud Jolibois, 44.   CADAORS 2012P0786... Read more

31-May-12 Sikorsky UH-60 Mitzpe Ramon, Israel

Emergency landing made shortly after take-off... Read more

30-May-12 N106TV Bell 206B Burbank, US-Washington

Crashed into an apple orchard after losing power.  Tail damage.  Pilot not injured... Read more

30-May-12 N116AE Bell 206L West Plains, US-Missouri

The aircraft had just completed a routine inspection and the mechanic was doing a post-inspection ground run when the aircraft inadvertently lifted from its stationary position and struck a hangar.  Mechanic injured... Read more

30-May-12 Rotorway Exec Smoketown, US-Pennsylvania

Heavily damaged.  Sole occupant was injured... Read more

29-May-12 AgustaWestland AW139 Cooroy, Australia

Rescue helicopter made emergency landing at night using NVG after indications of a major hydraulic failure during an EMS flight, with patient on board.  Patient moved to second helicopter (BK117 VH-EHQ) to reach hospital.  See also press release... Read more

28-May-12 Boeing AH-64D Wardack Province, Afghanistan (2F)

NATO officials said two coalition members were killed in a helicopter crash in eastern Afghanistan Monday. Initial reports said there was no enemy activity in the area.  Two named as Capt. John R. Brainard, 26, of Dover-Foxcroft, Maine; and Chief Warrant Officer 5 John C. Pratt, 51, of Springfield, Va., were assigned to the 12th... Read more

28-May-12 N7077F Bell 206L Gulf of Mexico (1F)

PHi LongRanger down in GOM.  Sole occupant pilot lost his life – body found and recovered four hours after accident.  Helicopter completely submerged.  Pilot later named as Arturo Lebron... Read more

28-May-12 Eurocopter EC130B4 Puna, US-Hawaii

Precautionary field landing made during sightseeing flight. N o damage to helicopter.  Another helicopter from the same operator came and picked up the passengers.... Read more

28-May-12 Eastern Afghanistan

An ISAF helicopter crashed during routine operations in eastern Afghanistan today, no fatalities reported.  NOTE – there was a second accident in the same region on the same day which was fatal – see here... Read more

28-May-12 C-GHDF Bell 206B Whistle Bend, Canada

Helicopter under contract to the City of Whitehorse for mosquito control work was flying low level when it hit wires – pilot was blinded by the sunshine during a turn.  Pilot put 206 down safely in a creek.  No damage to helicopter or injury to pilot.  400 properties temporarily without power.  CADAORS 2012C2112... Read more

28-May-12 OO-PIV Robinson R44 Hoegaarden, Belgium

Emergency landing in field, no damage... Read more

27-May-12 N1UB Robinson R44 Peoria, US-Illinois

Tail struck ground while hovering, causing helicopter to crash land on its side... Read more

27-May-12 ZS-HRZ Bell 206B Midrand, South Africa

Crashed shortly after take off from Grand Central Airport, coming to rest against a concrete fence.  The two occupants were severely injured – see photos here and here... Read more

26-May-12 N345MH Schweizer 300CBi Chesterfield, US-Missouri

FAA says “crashed under unknown circumstances”... Read more

26-May-12 Bell UH-1 Huey II Nariño, Colombia

Pilot experienced some difficulties and elected to put the helicopter down in a mangrove swamp on approach to Tumaco airport.  All four (one report says five) occupants safely recovered... Read more

25-May-12 N11ZX Hughes 500C Delavan, US-Minnesota

Hughes 500C was crop spraying when it hit wires.  Pilot seriously injured and airlifted to hospital.... Read more

25-May-12 N407VV Bell 407 Cottonwood, US-Arizona

Helicopter was fire-bombed while parked on the helipad outside Verde Valley Medical Center.  Alleged that a beer bottle filled with fuel was thrown into cockpit – photos show extensive fire damage in that area... Read more

25-May-12 N806LA Bell 206B Longboat Key, US-Florida

Lost power and force landed on beach.  Slight damage to tail boom noted from press photo.  Helicopter was en route to Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport made an emergency landing this afternoon on Longboat Key’s Gulfside beach.... Read more

24-May-12 HB-XPQ Agusta-Bell 206B Eggschwand, Switzerland (3F)

Helicopter crashed following a wire strike and caught fire in remote mountainous area.  Three fatalities.... Read more

24-May-12 ZS-PVH Robinson R44 Masenkweng, South Africa (1F)

One person was killed and another critically injured when the R44 crashed on Thursday into the veld.  Helicopter ended up on its port side.  Fatality named in online forum as Riaan Van Brakel... Read more

24-May-12 N7505Y Schweizer 300C Asheville, US-North Carolina

Hard landing on the runway, which meant that the runway was closed for 80 minutes.   2 POB not injured.... Read more

23-May-12 Schweizer S300 Wazirabad, Pakistan (2F)

Helicopter crashed into a river on a training flight.  Student pilot Captain Shmer and instructor Major Zahid Bari missing, presumed dead due to the fast flow rate of the river. Update – student’s body recovered some days later.  Helicopter type confirmed from 26s in to this video... Read more

23-May-12 HAL Chetak Siachen Glacier, India (1F)

Crashed, killing pilot Major Chandrashekhar Singh, shortly after dropping off supplies at a helipad in the Himalayas at an altitude of 19,685ft... Read more

22-May-12 Eurocopter AS332L2 North Sea, UK

Bbrought back to land by sea after concerns were raised about fuel samples.  Date was the day it arrived back by boat.  May need to adjust this date once more details become clear.... Read more

21-May-12 ZS-RSL AgustaWestland AW119 McCarthy’s Rest, South Africa

Unclear what happened.  Owner Frikkie Lutzkie decided to cut skids off “for ease of ground transportation”, cut blades off and remove the boom.  Helicopter was then smeared with mud and camouflaged with copious amounts of foliage.  Helicopter uninsured.  Date is approximate, but likely within a week of the correct date.  Read reports at the three links... Read more

21-May-12 ZK-HXZ Hughes 500D North Canterbury, New Zealand

It is believed the helicopter had been contracted by the Department of Conservation (DOC) to spray for gorse when it went down at the northern end of Lake Sumner.  Helicopter and pilot missing – pilot named as  35-year-old Mike Mehrtens – company website here quotes him as a 3,500 hour pilot... Read more

20-May-12 N63VP Enstrom F28F Twin Falls, US-Idaho

Pilot had informed ATC of mechanical concerns but did not quite reach the airport, the helicopter being severely damaged when landing half a mile stort of Magic Valley Regional Airport (Joslin Field).  Photos show the cabin completely separated from the tail boom.... Read more

19-May-12 N444WT Robinson R44 Destin, US-Florida

Main blades chopped tail boom on landing... Read more

18-May-12 EV-0672 Mil Mi-17V5 San Felipe, Venezuela (4F)

Crashed on take off from an altitude of approx 10m on a training flight.  4 of 5 occupants killed – at least some from the Bolivian military, being trained in Venezuela.  One fatality named as Col. Oscar Martinez Mora.  Photo here shows the tail boom having been cut by the main rotors... Read more

18-May-12 Bell 206B Robinson Crusoe Island, Chile

Minor damage in accident while helicopter was involved in operations to do with a ratio antenna in support of a sports challenge on the island called “Transportation Achilles”.  The three crew members were unharmed – Fernando Saver Oyarzún, Claudio Navarrete Flores and Rodrigo Vargas Soto.  One source quotes the helicopter serial number as “38” but... Read more

18-May-12 Bell UH-1 Red Rock Canyon, US-Nevada

Las Vegas police Huey rescue helicopter clipped a Red Rock Canyon wall with its main rotor blades on a training flight with 5 POB.  Sources say a strong wind gust pushed the Bell HH-1H helicopter into a canyon wall in the Spring Mountain range.  Safe landing, no injuries... Read more

17-May-12 Lexington, US-Virginia

A medical helicopter came within 1,000 feet of three military jets after dropping off a patient, a spokesman for healthcare organization Carilion Clinic said.... Read more

17-May-12 I-B037 Elisport CH-7 Mettet, Belgium

Pilot suffered spinal injuries after crashing the single-seat CH-7 Kompress.  Helicopter extensively damaged (see photo)... Read more

16-May-12 XA-UKL Bell 206B Jerez, Mexico

Crashed from low level during take-off and ended up on its starboard side within the police compound.  Press statement said it was a mechanical issue.  Pilot named as Víctor Ojeda Esqueda and passengers were Secretary of Public Security Jesús Pinto Ortiz and director of the State Preventive Police, Víctor Manuel Bosques.   All three to hospital. ... Read more

16-May-12 OH-HZH Robinson R44 Juuka, Finland

R44 was engaged in aerial saw work, clearing trees away from powerlines.  While reportedly ferrying back to a field landing site, the helicopter crashed and was destroyed (photo).  Sole occupant pilot had minor injuries.... Read more

16-May-12 Eurocopter Tiger Australia

Fumes in the cockpit – led to fleet grounding.... Read more

16-May-12 G-CCWJ Robinson R44 Nallihan, Turkey

Very heavy landing which caused the main blades to snap 30cm from the root.  It would appear that rotor rpm decayed to the extent it fell vertically out of the sky.  Skids splayed out, mast damaged but tail boom appears unscathed... Read more

15-May-12 Boeing AH-64 Killeen, US-Texas

Missile training device accidentally dropped from Apache helicopter out of Fort Hood.... Read more

14-May-12 N557XS CHR Safari Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic (2F)

Helicopter appears to have descended vertically to impact point – no skid-marks near site.  Accident killed 72-year old pilot and his passenger.  Helicopter caught fire on landing and the two fatalities were found in the wreckage by firemen after they put out the blaze.... Read more

14-May-12 N903CH Sikorsky S58T Forestsville, US-Pennsylvania

Precautionary landing due to low visibility... Read more

10-May-12 G-REDW Eurocopter EC225 off Aberdeen, UK

Controlled ditching in North Sea and all 14 on board into liferafts and later rescued.  The helicopter remained upright on its emergency floats.  Flight number was “Bond 88R”... Read more

11-May-12 HB-ZCM Eurocopter AS350B3 Camorino, Switzerland

Crew member suffered serious head injuries when “releasing the transport line” (literal translation).  Investigation ongoing, few details.... Read more

10-May-12 N7523S Robinson R44 San Mateo, US-New Mexico

Unknown circumstances led to landing on Mount Taylor where pilot activated the ELT and both occupants walked away to raise the alarm. Pilot Jareb Mirczak of Nevada and passenger Sean Mossing of Carson City.  Level of damage not clear, although State Police report refers to “wreckage”... Read more

09-May-12 N1069Z Bell 206B Flora, US-Indiana

Crashed into a wheat field during agricultural operations.  Pilot named as Brian Townsend... Read more

09-May-12 Mil Mi-17 Mazamari, Peru (1F)

After experiencing some blade damage in flight, an emergency landing was made.  The impact killed pilot Rodolfo León Gavilán.  The other 18 on board survived.  The police had been engaged on an anti-drug trafficking mission.... Read more

09-May-12 VT-VKS Agusta A109C Ranchi, India

Crash landed at Ranchi Airport due to tail rotor problems.  Local reports suggest that pilot made a high speed landing on wheels and the helicopter then turned over up to six times as a result of this landing.  However, it meant that all survived and the 6 POB have already been declared “out of danger”... Read more

08-May-12 PP-CGO AgustaWestland AW119 Piranhas, Brazil (8F)

8 Killed when AW119 crashed while en route from the reconstruction of an April 2012 massacre at Dover and was returning to the state capital of Goiana.  The Civil Police confirmed the names of the eight occupants of the aircraft. They are: the Police crew Jorge Moreira, Antonio Goncalves, Osvalmir Carrasco, Vinicius da Silva, Bruno Carneiro... Read more

04-May-12 Boeing CH-47 Florennes, Belgium

Royal Netherlands Air Force pilot heard a strange noise shortly after takeoff from the base of Florennes and elected to put the helicopter down in a field.  No damage... Read more

04-May-12 G-STGR AgustaWestland AW109SP Helsby, UK

Whilst manoeuvring for landing at a private helipad, the helicopter’s tail rotor blades struck an adjacent fence. The pilot received no unusual cockpit indications and was unaware of the tail rotor strike until after shutdown.... Read more

03-May-12 G-WIWI Sikorsky S76C++ Peasmarsh, UK

Following an event in which high torque was used, flight data was analysed on behalf of the operator using incorrect conversion information relevant to earlier variants of the helicopter. The operator was therefore unaware that total torque had exceeded a level at which maintenance action was required.  This article suggests the passengers were Paul Macartney... Read more

02-May-12 N85RB Bell 206B Valley Falls, US-Kansas

Crash from low level while on gas pipeline survey.  Pilot Wayne Spry and his two passengers, Jerry Senger and Clint Shoemaker received minor injuries.... Read more

02-May-12 N209KR Robinson R22 Kona, US-Hawaii

Came down on training flight.  Instructor and student both reported injured and to hospital... Read more

02-May-12 N380TL Hughes 300C Phoenix, US-Arizona

Crashed in a residential neighbourhood, both occupants hospitalised -Alan Cottrell and Ron Ponce... Read more

02-May-12 M-EMLI AgustaWestland AW109E Northolt, UK

Rotor blades clipped a small branch of one of the trees while the helicopter was manoeuvring to land... Read more

01-May-12 N309MH Bell 407 Anchorage, US-Alaska

Struck trees with main rotor blades while landing... Read more

30-Apr-12 FAC-4020 Bell 212 Sabanagrande, Colombia (13F)

The helicopter was on a transport mission from Barranquilla to Caucasia when the accident occurred, killing all 13 on board – 7 from the Colombian Air Force and 6 from the Colombian National Police.  Pilot was named as Major Abel Jorge Garcia Cardona, while Lieutenant Hector Vega Alejandro Cuevas was serving as copilot.... Read more

30-Apr-12 N433UM Bell 430 Tecumseh, US-Michigan

EMS helicopter taking off from accident site – and downwash caused awning to blow over... Read more

29-Apr-12 OE-XMM MD Helicopters MD902 Großvenediger, Austria (1F)

Alpine rescue expert and two others were being lowered on a winch to rescue a trapped climber.  Due to poor visibility, the pilot released the winch at too high an altitude – about 10m AGL.  Franz Franzeskon died instantly in the fall while the two others suffered multiple injuries. No technical issues reported with the... Read more

29-Apr-12 N406EM Eurocopter AS350B2 Hugo, US-Oklahoma

Annual check ride with NVGs in EMS helicopter.  After a satisfactory slope landing, the PIC repositioned the helicopter to a flat area and performed a hovering autorotation, which  resulted  in  a  hard  landing.  After the flight, during a post-flight examination,  substantial  damage  was  discovered  to the tail boom and the aft portion of the fuselage... Read more

28-Apr-12 D-HARV Robinson R44 II Spieckern, Germany

Written off after hitting high-tension cables climbing out from a precautionary off-field landing due to an ill passenger.  Three injured to hospital.... Read more

27-Apr-12 Bell 206 South Londonderry Township, US-Pennsylvania

Agricultural accidents.  Starboard skid reportedly hit crop, Pilot got out on his own.  Tail boom severed from fuselage.  Pilot later named in press as 59-year-old Thomas Green of Gettysburg... Read more

26-Apr-12 ER-KGD Kamov Ka32 Ostrov, Romania (5F)

Crashed shortly after take off, killing all five Ukraine nationals on board.  Helicopter was one of two being ferried from Ukraine to Turkey for firefighting operations there.... Read more

26-Apr-12 164771 Sikorsky MH-53E Virginia Beach, US-Virginia

There were no injuries among the crewmen aboard and the helicopter suffered no damage as a result of the precautionary landing.  8 POB.  C ode 540 from the press photo (link 2) leads us to believe this was Bu164771... Read more

26-Apr-12 N2068X Bell B206B Amarillo, US-Texas

Substantially damaged in heavy landing.  Both occupants to hospital.  Weather report as winds gusting to 30 knots at the time of the accident... Read more

Copyright © 2024 HeliHub

Website by Design Inc

Helihub logo

X