Initial findings from Irish crash investigators suggest that the tail section of a Sikorsky S-92 search and rescue helicopter struck cliffs near Black Rock lighthouse during its fatal descent on 14 March.
But there is no indication whether the contact with terrain was a cause of the crash or if it happened as the helicopter came down for other reasons.
A statement from the Air Accident Investigation Unit (AAIU) says that while a “significant amount” of wreckage has been recovered from the sea, it has also retrieved additional sections “from the general area of Black Rock Light House”, which are “primarily from the tail area”.
Although it cautions that it is too early to be “definitive” about the nature of the damage or the circumstances of the accident, it adds: “However, there appears to be marks on some of the recovered wreckage which are consistent with the tail of the aircraft contacting rocky surfaces on the Western end of Blackrock.
“The investigation has not yet definitively identified the initial point of impact,” it adds.
Search vessels have also detected signals which the AAIU believes are from the underwater locator beacon attached to the S-92’s combined cockpit-voice and flight-data recorder.
AAIU says the signals point towards an area which will be the focus of future search activities.
The helicopter (EI-ICR), which was operated by CHC on behalf of the Irish coastguard, crashed on 14 March as part of a search and rescue operation on Ireland’s northwest coast, killing the two pilots and two rear crew on board.
The last radio transmission from the S-92 suggested it was in-bound to Blacksod lighthouse to refuel. Blackrock lighthouse is 9nm (17km) to the west of Blacksod and stands atop 300ft cliffs.
Source: FlightGlobal.com
