UK based Civil Helicopter crash in Snowdonia

Kristopherus

I see Breaking News on Sky is reporting that a privately owned helicopter with 5 people on board has gone missing over the Irish Sea.

Withe the bad news re Blackrock still fresh in people's minds, this is more unwelcome news.

finnharpsboy

Helicopter goes missing over Irish Sea

https://www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2017/0329/863635-helicopter-irish-sea/

sword1

The rescue services will be well stretched, hope all are found well

Atlantic Dawn

RTÉ reporting it as a privately owned helicopter enroute from Milton Keynes to Dublin, via Caernarfon Bay.

http://www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2017/0329/863635-helicopter-irish-sea/

embraer170

Sad news.

Kristopherus

RTE News reporting it was en route from Milton Keynes to Dublin via Caernarfon Bay, over which it has disappeared.

Steve

Two threads started on this so merged.

Terrible news.

eastmayo

O no this is awfull news

adam88

With most of the available naval resources on the western side of the island. I presume the English coastguard will step up and play a huge part

SEPT 23 1989

I read it wrong on the breaking news and thought another rescue helicopter had gone down

Tow

adam88 wrote: »

With most of the available naval resources on the western side of the island. I presume the English coastguard will step up and play a huge part

From RTE:

The Irish coastguard said they have been asked to assist with a communications search but that the operation in the Irish Sea is being co-ordinated by the UK coastguard.

knucklehead6

adam88 wrote: »

With most of the available naval resources on the western side of the island. I presume the English coastguard will step up and play a huge part

I'd say they have 'jurisdiction' given it's closer to wales than Ireland

CardinalJ

adam88 wrote: »

With most of the available naval resources on the western side of the island. I presume the English coastguard will step up and play a huge part

It's on their patch, as it were.

It's sobering that if this was 3 weeks ago 116 may have been sent out to investigate. Chance is an incredible thing.

adam88

Don't think we have the capabilities to offer much assistance due to the current search

Steve

UK Coastguard is coordinating the search.

http://hmcoastguard.blogspot.ie/
https://twitter.com/MCA_media?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

adam88

adam88 wrote: »

Don't think we have the capabilities to offer much assistance due to the current search

Three SAR helicopters plus many east coast lifeboats. Plenty of resources available if required and requested.

SEPT 23 1989

Who owns the chopper?

cameramonkey

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Three SAR helicopters plus many east coast lifeboats. Plenty of resources available if required and requested.

Plus naval service And air corps helicopters and fixed wing.

Kristopherus

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

Who owns the chopper?

Privately owned.

embraer170

Has the reg been published anywhere?

cameramonkey

cameramonkey wrote: »

Plus naval service And air corps helicopters and fixed wing.

Correct.

SAR is very capable of dealing with multiple taskings simultaneously. They have done and will do regularly.

embraer170

embraer170 wrote: »

Has the reg been published anywhere?

Yes but not confirmed so I'm not posting it.

fred funk }{

Am I reading it correctly? It's missing since 4.30 today?

ED E

fred funk }{ wrote: »

Am I reading it correctly? It's missing since 4.30 today?

Yep. And no immersion suits on a craft like that.

embraer170

ED E wrote: »

Yep. And no immersion suits on a craft like that.

What type was it?

sword1

Surely all these helicopters have epirbs, no mention of it going off. A small punt with one person has a plb/epirb

Steve

The search was started at 16:15 from what I can gather, so probably not long before that.

Steve

sword1 wrote: »

Surely all these helicopters have epirbs, no mention of it going off. A small punt with one person has a plb/epirb

You'd be surprised how many don't. It's not mandatory for non commercial marine vessels.

Kerrydude1981

fred funk }{ wrote: »

Am I reading it correctly? It's missing since 4.30 today?

Reporter from BBC Radio Wales has it here

https://twitter.com/rtenews/status/847183330986639360

embraer170

The type/reg is mentioned here if someone is interested:
http://www.pprune.org/rotorheads/592873-missing-twin-squirrel-wales-ireland.html

sword1

Thirty five years old if I read that right

Buffman

Sad news.

FR24 record of a Rescue 187 flight from earlier today to give an idea of the search area.

Stheno

Steve wrote: »

You'd be surprised how many don't. It's not mandatory for non commercial marine vessels.

Am I right in thinking that sailors doing overnight trips are required to have epirbs?

Steve

Stheno wrote: »

Am I right in thinking that sailors doing overnight trips are required to have epirbs?

No requirement that I know of.

Some races require it but that is getting off topic (discuss in S&B if you want).

Psychlops

knucklehead6 wrote: »

I'd say they have 'jurisdiction' given it's closer to wales than Ireland

SAR has no jurisdiction, IRCG have done plenty of SAR north of the border & will continue to do so, they often train with their HMCG counterparts, R118 was up north last year training with the S92 out of Prestwick.

R116 when they had the S61N were tasked to wales too:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/prince-william-joins-rescue-mission-in-irish-sea-1.1078236

elastico

5 businessmen apparently

Source: independent.ie

jeepcj

No epirb requirement, only for elt

Gadgetman496

sword1 wrote: »

Thirty five years old if I read that right

Not sure where you read that but i see 23/04/2008 on the registration details, I may be reading that wrong though?

Buffman

Psychlops wrote: »

SAR has no jurisdiction,

At the risk of going off topic and being pedantic, from a control point of view there is.

The Irish Marine Search and Rescue Region is IRCG responsibility.



HMCG covers another area. (Within which it appears this incident occured.)


You are correct in that from an operational point of view resources will be shared as required to save lives. The last large scale Irish Sea emergency I can recall everyone being involved in was when the ferry MS Riverdance ran aground at Blackpool in 2008.

Gadgetman496

Gadgetman496 wrote: »

Not sure where you read that but i see 23/04/2008 on the registration details, I may be reading that wrong though?

That's the reg date, year of manufacture is on the other side listed as 1982

Gadgetman496

Deleted User wrote: »

That's the reg date, year of manufacture is on the other side listed as 1982

Yep I see that now.

Interestingly no lifeboats are currently or recently searching for the heli. Both Nefyn and Holyhead boats haven't moved.

Gadgetman496

Two UK Coastguard helicopters searched the area between north Wales and the shore of Dublin before returning to their bases for the evening.

Alkers

Heard on the news that the search is now concentrating on snowdownia

knucklehead6

Psychlops wrote: »

SAR has no jurisdiction, IRCG have done plenty of SAR north of the border & will continue to do so, they often train with their HMCG counterparts, R118 was up north last year training with the S92 out of Prestwick.

R116 when they had the S61N were tasked to wales too:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/prince-william-joins-rescue-mission-in-irish-sea-1.1078236

I'm well aware of that, which is why i had jurisdiction in inverted commas

AndyBoBandy

They are now concentrating their searches in the mountains in around Snowdonia national park according to the UKCG commander on BBC

Kerrydude1981

The Journal have a report saying

"The helicopter was due to stop at Caernarfon on its way to Dublin, but never made it there, with no sightings or radio contact made from that point on."

http://www.thejournal.ie/helicopter-wales-missing-3314380-Mar2017/

martinsvi

Steve wrote: »

You'd be surprised how many don't. It's not mandatory for non commercial marine vessels.

Since last August all EASA CofA aircraft are now required to carry ELT's or at least 1 PLB for aircraft with 6 seats or less.

I'm not entirely sure why this keeps coming up in crash threads thou - it's not like SAR coordinators will run to the media in the first instance they received a signal - and even if they did, it's not like media are doing a splendid job getting their facts and terminology right whenever it comes to aviation. Just because it's not reported, doesn't mean ELT didn't go off.. And if it did go off, they're not exactly 100% effective in marine conditions

AndyBoBandy

martinsvi wrote: »

I'm not entirely sure why this keeps coming up in crash threads thou

I guess given the recent R116 water immersion, and the suspected water immersion of this aircraft, people feel that an EPIRB activation could lead to faster location of potential survivors in the water.

shanered

It was three brothers and two wives on helicopter. Coming to Ireland for a family commuinion.

FrancieBrady

It's a land search now according to RTE.