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Helicopter crashed on cley reserve (1 Viewer)

The BBC are saying it was on the reserve, near the East Bank (quoting a local but not an eye-witness). Reserve and the A149 locally both reported to be closed while they check whether the helicopter was carrying live ammunition, as it was on a military training exercise.
 
A press conference from the scene was broadcast on BBC Radio just after 8am.

Main points were:-

USAF H-60 Pave Hawk helicopter from RAF Lakenheath crashed whilst on a flight with another helicopter of the same type yesterday evening.

4 crew on board have sadly perished.

Wreckage scattered over an area roughly the size of a football pitch, most wreckage on the marsh but some on the beach / East bank.Ammunition on board consisting of bullets presumably from door mounted gun.

AAIB, RAF, Emergency services and USAFE personnel all at site.

A149 and Cley nature reserve to be closed probably for the whole day.

Best thing is to avoid the area until at least tomorrow.
 
I thought there was a minimum altitude requirement over the reserve, though helicopters in general are not subject to normal military low-flying restrictions, so were these highly trained airmen not quite where they should have been?

You would have to work quite hard to set off a modern firearm round, so the restrictions are about preventing them being half-inched by the public, not safety per se (this is still a good reason.)

John
 
Farnboro John said:
I thought there was a minimum altitude requirement over the reserve, though helicopters in general are not subject to normal military low-flying restrictions, so were these highly trained airmen not quite where they should have been?

You would have to work quite hard to set off a modern firearm round, so the restrictions are about preventing them being half-inched by the public, not safety per se (this is still a good reason.)

John
Click to expand...

Unless there was something else on board that the USAF doesn't want us to know about.... :eek!:

I hope such low-flying doesn't take place over the Reserve during the breeding season?
 
JDatchens said:
Unless there was something else on board that the USAF doesn't want us to know about.... :eek!:

I hope such low-flying doesn't take place over the Reserve during the breeding season?
Click to expand...

There will be loads of stuff where the technology is secret (the US doesn't even share the latest NVG technology with its allies) but no death rays, pocket thermo-nuclear weapons or other science fiction conspiracy theory stuff.

I thought the reserve was an exclusion zone below a minimum altitude, but I'm not absolutely sure. Fixed wing have much stricter rules than choppers.

John
 
Cley is within LFA 5 (Low flying area 5) and falls under these rules.

Environmental, Industrial, Medical and Nature Sites

Aircraft within the UKLFS (UK Low Flying System) should avoid environmental, industrial, NATURE and medical sites listed within the UK Military Low Flying Handbook by 2000ft AGL (above ground level) and 0.25nm laterally unless otherwise specified.

In emergencies i.e. air ambulance or air sea rescue there are exceptions to the above.

Looking at the zone of debris from the impact I would imagine that the helicopter involved came down from above the minimum height restriction.
 
nigelblake said:
Aircraft within the UKLFS (UK Low Flying System) should avoid environmental, industrial, NATURE and medical sites listed within the UK Military Low Flying Handbook by 2000ft AGL (above ground level) and 0.25nm laterally unless otherwise specified.
Click to expand...

So, I'm reading that as "aircraft should avoid Nature sites listed within the handbook", and if Cley wasn't listed in the handbook, then low level flights are permitted there?
 
nigelblake said:
Looking at the zone of debris from the impact I would imagine that the helicopter involved came down from above the minimum height restriction.
Click to expand...

Are you quite sure of that? From what I've seen I thought the impact was low-level, high speed and that created a linear scatter.

John
 
Anyone on here got access to the CAA VFR Southern Half Million Chart? My one is from 2006 and I am trying to help someone with a low flying issue. I need to see if Cley has a restriction (advisory) on it. On my chart Minsmere and Havergate Island have a 2000' restriction of the the rest of the coast, to my surprise, is open FIR more or less e.g. 500' rule. Thanks in advance.
 
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