Air Accidents Investigation Branch
Image: Radar track of route flown.
The aircraft departed a private site with the intention of flying a local experience flight. As the helicopter returned to land at the departure point, it made a left turn away from the landing site and began a shallow climb. It began to yaw to the left, initially with a normal attitude before the nose dropped. The helicopter continued to yaw to the left, the nose dropped further, and it rapidly descended into a tree. There was an intense post-crash fire, with both the pilot and the passenger being fatally injured.
Due to the damage sustained and lack of available evidence, the investigation was not able to reach a definitive conclusion. Based on the available evidence, the cause was likely to be one or more of the following factors: mechanical failure, an incorrect pilot response to unexpected environmental conditions, an inadvertent passenger input or restriction on the controls, or partial or complete medical incapacitation.
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