In a shocking incident in the UK’s Isle of Wight, a chopper crashed into a field during flight lessons and killed three people and seriously injured one. The accident happened off England’s south coast, on Monday morning. According to Associated Press, the Robinson R44 II aircraft, operated by Northumbria Helicopters, took off from Sandown Airport around 9 am local time. It had a pilot and three passengers on board. Just before 9:30 am, it went down in a field near a road in the Shanklin area.
The only survivor was taken by air ambulance to University Hospital Southampton’s trauma centre and is in serious condition, police said. Eyewitness Leigh Goldsmith told a local newspaper that he saw the helicopter spin out of control and crash into a hedge while he was driving nearby.
Shanklin Town Council said it was shocked by the crash of a pleasure flight helicopter on the town’s outskirts.
⚡️🇬🇧 A helicopter crashed in a field on the Isle of Wight during a flying lesson, killing three of the four people on board. One survivor was flown to a Southampton hospital in serious condition. pic.twitter.com/5XCSHz4VCq
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The crash happened during a busy bank holiday weekend when many events were going on, including the Isle of Wight Scooter Rally at Sandown Airport, which attracted thousands of vintage scooter owners.
Investigators from the UK’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch have gone to the site to collect evidence and find out what caused the crash.
The cause of the crash is still not known. Inspectors from the UK’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch have been sent to collect evidence and investigate the incident. Northumbria Helicopters said they are fully cooperating with the inquiry. The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary added that they cannot share more details about the people involved at this stage. Local MP Joe Robertson said the accident has left the entire community in shock.
