HELICOPTERS

27 December
 Eurocopter AS365N Dauphin:
 After taking off from Blackpool Airport the CHC Scotia operated helicopter dropped passengers at two gas rigs in Morecombe Bay and was about 500 metres from a third positioned about 24 miles from the coast, when it was seen to dive into the sea. The two crew and 5 passengers were killed, one body is still unaccounted for. The helicopter was manufactured in 1985 and had flown some 20,000 hours.

GLIDING
3 October
 ASW-19 & Scheib SF27, Sutton Bank, Yorks:
Following a mid-air collision between the single-seat gliders, the pilot of the Scheib parachuted to safety but the ASW pilot was killed when it crashed.

23 September
 ASW-20L, Keevil, Wilts
 The glider crashed during a winch launch. The pilot was seriously injured and later died in hospital.

30 August
 Slingsby Dart 15, Sutton Bank, Yorks:
The pilot was seriously injured when the glider crashed whilst soaring on the ridge. He subsequently died in hospital three weeks later.

AEROPLANES
15 November
 Stemme 10V: Nr Omarama, New Zealand
 The UK registered motor glider took off from Omarama to compete in a gliding competiton. When nothing was heard from the aircraft for 4 hours an extensive search involving 12 aircraft was undertaken. The wreckage was found next day on Mount Prospect near Lake Hawea, South Island. The pilot and his son had been killed; the ELT had not been activated. The pilot had ferried the aircraft to NZ from the UK 2 years previously.

11 September
 Cessna A152 nr Bethesda, Snowdonia, N. Wales
 While returning to Shobdon from Caernarfon at about 17.30 the aircraft impacted high ground killing the passenger and badly injuring the pilot.

10 September
 Wittman W8 Tailwind:
The German based UK registered, high wing home build, aircraft crashed at Schramberg Aerodrome, Germany, killing the sole occupant.

22 July
 Yak 52: Bournemouth Airport, Hants
 The aircraft crashed on the airport killing the two occupants.

19 July
 Cessna 150L: nr Southend Airport, Essex
 The aircraft crashed close to the airport killing the 16 year old student pilot on his second solo flight.

16 July
 Slingsby T67M: Hoxne, Nr Eye, Suffolk
 The pilot was performing an aerobatic display for a group of family and friends. The 40 year old pilot was killed when the aircraft spun into a field and burnt.

29 June
 Piper PA23 Aztec:
The aircraft took off from Bagby/Thirsk and crashed nearby killing the pilot. The aircraft was destroyed by fire.

MICROLIGHTS

25 August
 Zenair 601 Zodiac, Micklebring, S. Yorks
 Both occupants were killed when the aircraft crashed close to a private strip.

6 August
 A Letov Sluka crashed at North Coates, Lincs, killing the pilot. (Photos of the Sluka are on several websites.)

9 June
A Raven X microlight took off from Rochester, Kent on a solo training exercise. When the aircraft failed to return an intensive search finally found the wreckage on the Isle of Grain, Kent the next day. The pilot was dead.

PARACHUTING
17 September
 Headcorn, Kent
 A parachutist was killed when his chute failed to open fully.

GYROPLANES
01 June
 RAF 2000 Gyroplane at Bodmin (one fatality).



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