Helicopter blade misses petrol station after crash

The broken tip of a helicopter blade narrowly avoided hitting a petrol station after the aircraft crashed into a field.

A report from the Air Accidents Investigation Branch found the pilot had attempted an emergency landing after losing visibility in cloud near Chalfont St Peter, Buckinghamshire, on 11 June.

As the helicopter touched down on the uneven field, it rolled on to its side and the rotor struck the ground, sending a 70cm (2.3ft) fragment of blade flying 180m (591ft).

The piece passed a main road, narrowly missed a petrol station canopy and eventually embedded itself in the wall of a nearby house.

Although the 64‑year‑old pilot escaped injury, the Robinson R66 was "significantly damaged", investigators said.

The flight had begun at Denham airfield on what was intended to be a routine private journey.

After inadvertently entering cloud at about 700ft the pilot became disorientated and briefly lost sight of the ground.

The pilot did not hold a qualification for flying without a visual reference, the report said.

Once he broke through the cloud he spotted a paddock containing horses and diverted towards an adjacent field to make the precautionary landing.

Investigators concluded that deteriorating weather and a rushed landing decision contributed to the accident.

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