Date:	Monday 27 November 2017
Time:	15:30
Type:	AgustaWestland AW-109SP Grand New
Owner/operator:	VLL Ltd t/a GB Helicopters
Registration:	G-IWFC
MSN:	22331
Year of manufacture:	2015
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 3
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Minor
Category:	Accident
Location:	Sywell Airfield, Hall Farm, Sywell, Northamptonshire -   United Kingdom
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Test
Departure airport:	Northampton/Sywell Aerodrome (ORM/EGBK)
Destination airport:	Northampton/Sywell Aerodrome (ORM/EGBK)
Investigating agency:	AAIB
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
AAIB investigation to AW109SP Grand New, G-IWFC: Damaged in hover due to Incorrectly latched engine cowl, Sywell Airfield, Hall Farm, Sywell, Northamptonshire, 27 November 2017. The incident was the subject of an AAIB Investigation, and the following is the summary from the AAIB Report:

"The pilot and an engineer had been performing flight maintenance checks that had been intermittently interrupted by heavy rain showers. Whilst performing a rotor blade check in the hover during a period of clear weather, the No 1 engine OIL HOT caption illuminated. After landing, a second engineer opened the engine cowl to conduct an inspection of the engine. Following this inspection, the helicopter took off again for a further maintenance check flight.

During the flight, a small but unusual vibration was felt by the occupants. The pilot elected to return to land at the airfield, but during his approach a sudden very heavy vibration started. The pilot performed a run-on landing, with no further issues. Subsequently, the engine cowl was found to have contacted the main rotor blades due to it not having been correctly latched shut during the earlier inspection".

=Damage Sustained to airframe=
Per the AAIB Report "Impact damage to two rotor blades and engine cowl". The helicopter was repaired and returned to service, being sold on to its next owner (In Italy) on 23 June 2020

1. AAIB Report: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5b0293f340f0b62dcc139039/AW109SP_Grand_New_G-IWFC_06-18.pdf
2. https://www.planelogger.com/Aircraft/Registration/G-IWFC/
3. https://www.helis.com/database/cn/40822/
4. https://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/G-IWFC.html
5. https://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/I-EASQ.html
6. https://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/I-SSRR.html
7. https://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/I-LIDJ.html
8. https://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/HB-ZCR.html
9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sywell_Aerodrome

The Augusta Westland AW-109SP Grand New was built in 2015, and was first registered in Italy to the manufacturers for test flying and delivery purposes as I-EASQ in January/February 2015

Re-registered in Switzerland as HB-ZCR to Fox Fin SA on 19 February 2015. The helicopter was first UK registered as G-IWFC to VLL Ltd t/a GB Helicopters from 20 May 2015. After the incident at Sywell on 27 November 2017 G-IWFC was repaired and returned to service

This helicopter accumulated a total of 1,152 flying hours as at 10 March 2020. Soon afterwards, on 23June 2020 the registration G-IWFC was cancelled and the airframe de-registered by the CAA as \"Transferred to another country or authority - ITALY\". The helicopter was re-registered in Italy as I-LIDJ, later I-SSRR

G-IWFC Augusta Westland AW-109SP Grand New of GB Helicopters at Gloucestershire Airport (GLO/EGBJ) 11 February 2017

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
23-Jun-2024 19:26	Dr. John Smith	Added
23-Jun-2024 19:27	ASN	Updated [Aircraft type, Accident report]