Wycombe Air Park helicopter crash: Pilot died after instructor 'failed to regain control'

A trainee helicopter pilot died after a crash in which his instructor failed to regain control of the aircraft during an aborted landing, a report has found.

Three men were on board the Airbus AS350 when it came down at Wycombe Air Park in Buckinghamshire on 5 May 2017.

They were on a training flight which simulated a hydraulic system failure.

The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) said it was not known why the instructor was unable to right the aircraft.

All three men, none of whom were named in the report, were seriously injured in the crash, with the pilot dying "some weeks later from injuries sustained in the accident", the report said.

AAIB investigators found that as the victim initially attempted to land, the instructor became concerned and took control to abort the manoeuvre.

When the trainee pilot made a second attempt to land, the instructor again took control late in the approach.

As he turned the helicopter left it rolled 90 degrees, descended rapidly and crashed, coming to a rest on its left side.

"No technical issues were identified and a definitive reason why the instructor was unable to roll the helicopter back to a level attitude could not be determined," the AAIB said.

The investigation concluded clearer instructions in the AS350 flight manual for hydraulics-off flights "would help prevent similar accidents in future".