A 65-YEAR-old pilot who escaped injury when his helicopter crashed and became engulfed in flames could not produce a valid flying licence and the aircraft did not have an adequate maintenance record, a report into the crash has found.
An examination by the Department of Transport’s air accident investigation unit (AAIU) found the pilot was forced to make an emergency landing almost blindly after the 30-year-old helicopter developed engine trouble and dense white smoke filled the cockpit. According to the AAIU report, the pilot was not able to produce a valid flying licence or medical certificate in the months that followed the accident last year. It took place near Newtownmountkennedy, Co Wicklow, at 6.40pm on August 2nd.
The pilot attempted a landing on an up-sloping grass field, cutting through ESB domestic power lines, and managed to land successfully. However, seconds after he and his passenger exited, the craft burst into flames and the fire destroyed the cabin, engine and gearbox area. Neither the pilot nor the passenger was injured.
The helicopter had no recorded maintenance since 2005 and no recorded engine maintenance since 2003. The AAIU said it was a “matter of concern that this helicopter had continued to operate for several years in Ireland, despite not having a valid certificate of airworthiness”.