Haughey Air AgustaWestland AW139 crash
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An AgustaWestland AW139, similar to the accident aircraft.
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| Accident summary | |
|---|---|
| Date | 13 March 2014 |
| Summary | Pilot error, spatial disorientation |
| Site |
Gillingham, Norfolk, United Kingdom TM407925 52°28′40″N 1°32′38″E / 52.47778°N 1.54389°ECoordinates: 52°28′40″N 1°32′38″E / 52.47778°N 1.54389°E |
| Passengers | 2 |
| Crew | 2 |
| Fatalities | 4 (all) |
| Aircraft type | AgustaWestland AW139 |
| Operator | Haughey Air |
| Registration | G-LBAL |
| Flight origin | Gillingham, Norfolk |
| Stopover | Coventry Airport |
| Destination | Rostrevor, County Down, United Kingdom |
On 13 March 2014, an AgustaWestland AW139 of Haughey Air crashed shortly after take-off from Gillingham, Norfolk for Rostrevor, County Down, United Kingdom. All four people on board were killed, including Edward Haughey, Baron Ballyedmond.
The accident aircraft was an AgustaWestland AW139,msn 31421,registration G-LBAL. The aircraft was built in Italy in 2012 and registered in the United Kingdom to Haughey Air on 18 September 2012. Haughey Air was owned by Edward Haughey, Baron Ballyedmond. It was the sole aircraft purchased from AgustaWestland by Haughey Air. Lord Ballyedmond had initiated legal proceedings in September 2013 against AgustaWestland over safety concerns relating to oil leaks and rotor blade issues, as well as problems with the aircraft's communication and navigation systems.
The aircraft crashed at about 19:26 hrs UTC, shortly after taking off from Gillingham Hall, Gillingham, Norfolk, for Rostrevor, County Down, via Coventry Airport. An eyewitness to the accident stated that the helicopter came down at a 45° angle. The front of the aircraft was severely damaged in the crash. The location was at Ordnance Survey Grid Reference TM407925. At the time of the accident, weather conditions were foggy. All four people on board were killed; both crew and both passengers. Lord Ballyedmond was one of the passengers. The bodies of the victims were removed from the wreckage during the afternoon of 14 March.
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