Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Galway Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Slieve Aughty Mountains, Co Galway, Ireland
Wednesday, September 7, 2005 10:44
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
On September 7, 2005, a privately owned Robinson R44 helicopter, registration number EI-DOC, was on a visual flight rule (VFR)flight returning to its base near Galway Airport (GWY),Ireland having over-nighted in New Ross, Co Wexford, Ireland when it cashed into a mountainside. The flight was tracked by Shannon Radar, maintaining a direct flight path towards Galway. As the helicopter’s transponder was set to Alpha mode, the radar did not record the its altitude. Shortly before the accident, the pilot made a routine radio communication with another helicopter at Galway airport. This was the last known communication from helicopter. The Shannon radar plot shows the helicopter maintained its track passing over the Slieve Aughty Mountains and as it approached the summit area at Cashlaunrumlahan, its speed reduced significantly. The final radar returns showed a sharp turn to the right and the signal then disappeared.
The helicopter struck trees in the Slieve Aughty Mountains, northeast of Cashlaunrumlahan, Ireland followed by ground impact in a dense forest. The pilot used a mobile phone to raise the alarm. Two Galway-based helicopters responded, as did the Shannon-based Coastguard S61 and ground-based emergency services. The occupants were located and evacuated to hospital about one hour after the accident.
Preliminary examination of the helicopter shows no evidence of pre-impact failure. Several reports have been received by the investigation indicating poor visibility and low cloud in the area at the time of the accident. A total of three people were on board. Two fatalities and 1 serious injury were reported.
The investigation is under the jurisdiction of the government of Ireland. Further information pertaining to this accident may be obtained from:
Air Accident Investigation Unit (AAIU)
Department of Transport
44 Kildare Street
Dublin 2
Ireland
Tel.: (353) 1 604 1293
E-mail: aaiu@transport.ie
Fax: (353) 1 604 1514
AFTN: EIDWYAYX
Website: http://www.aaiu.ie
This report is for informational purposes only and contains only information obtained for, or released by, the Government of Ireland.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Not Yet Reported
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 9/7/2005 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 1044 |
| Event Time Zone | -- |
| Event City | Slieve Aughty Mountains, Co Galway, Ireland |
| Event State | -- |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | -- |
| Event Date Year | 2005 |
| Event Date Month | 9 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | -- |
| Event Location Longitude | -- |
| Event Location Airport | Galway |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | GWY |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | -- |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | -- |
| Time of the weather observation | |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | -- |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | -- |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | -- |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | -- |
| Lighting Conditions | -- |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | -- |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | -- |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | -- |
| Wind Speed (knots) | -- |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | -- |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | 2 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 3 |
| Investigating Agency | Foreign |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | -- |
| NTSB Notification Source | AAIU, Graham Liddy |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 19 2009 1:12PM |
| User who most recently changed record | reih |
| Basic weather conditions | -- |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | -- |
| NTSB Number | ENG06WA011 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Non-U.S., Non-Commercial |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | Yes |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | ROBINSON |
| Aircraft Model | R44 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | II |
| Aircraft Serial Number | -- |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | -- |
| Aircraft Category | Helicopter |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | -- |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | -- |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Unknown |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | -- |
| Aircraft Owner State | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Country | EI |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | -- |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | -- |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | -- |
| Operator State | -- |
| Operator Country | EI |
| Operator Zip code | -- |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Unknown |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | -- |
| Departure City | New Ross |
| Departure State | -- |
| Departure Country | EI |
| Departure Time | -- |
| Departure Time Zone | -- |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | GWY |
| Destination City | Galway |
| Destination State | -- |
| Destination Country | EI |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 19 2009 1:11PM |
| User who most recently changed record | reih |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |