2017 Irish Coast Guard Rescue 116 crash
EI-ICR, the helicopter involved, photographed in August 2013 | |
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | 14 March 2017 |
| Summary | Controlled flight into terrain in poor weather, at night |
| Site | Blackrock Island, County Mayo, Ireland 54°04′01″N 10°19′13″W / 54.0669°N 10.3202°W |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | Sikorsky S-92A |
| Operator | CHC Helicopter for Irish Coast Guard |
| Call sign | Rescue 116 |
| Registration | EI-ICR |
| Flight origin | Dublin Airport, Ireland |
| Stopover | Blacksod Lighthouse, Ireland |
| Occupants | 4 |
| Crew | 4 |
| Fatalities | 4 |
| Survivors | 0 |
In the early hours of 14 March 2017, a Sikorsky S-92 helicopter operated by CHC Helicopter under contract to the Irish Coast Guard (call sign Rescue 116) crashed into the sea while supporting a rescue operation off County Mayo, on Ireland's west coast. All four crew members on board, Captain Dara Fitzpatrick, Chief Pilot Mark Duffy, winch operator Paul Ormsby, and winch man Ciarán Smith were killed.
The Air Accident Investigation Unit released its final report on 5 November 2021. It concluded that the probable cause was that while the helicopter was flying towards its intended landing spot at 200 ft, at night, in poor weather, the crew was unaware of the presence of a 282-foot obstacle in their flight path.