# NTSB WPR09WA138: Eurocopter EC225, North Sea, United Kingdom, February 18, 2009

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · No injuries · Foreign investigation
- Date: February 18, 2009, 18:40 local (18:40 UTC)
- Place: North Sea, United Kingdom
- Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining event: [Landing-landing roll: Tailstrike](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/091)
- Highest injury: No injuries
- Injuries: 18 uninjured
- Status: Led by another country's authority
- NTSB office: Western Pacific Region
- Lead agency: Other
- NTSB case key (mKey): 73423
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=WPR09WA138
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/73423/pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR09WA138

## Probable cause

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## Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened.

- [Landing-landing roll: Ditching](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/441); cases with it: [All aircraft, 186 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/441/sequence.md)
- [Landing-landing roll: Tailstrike](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/091) (defining event); cases with it: [All aircraft, 124 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/091/sequence.md)

## Analysis

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## Factual narrative

On February 18, 2009 at 1840 coordinated universal time (UTC), a Eurocopter EC225, G-REDU, registered to and operated by Bond Offshore Ltd, ditched in the North Sea near an oil platform located approximately 125 nautical miles east of Aberdeen, United Kingdom. The pilot and 17 passengers were not injured. The helicopter was substantially damaged during the water landing. The investigation is under the jurisdiction of, and is being investigated by, the Air Accidents Investigation Branch of the government of the United Kingdom. This report is for information purposes only and contains information released by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch. Further information pertaining to this accident may be obtained from: Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) Farnborough House Berkshire Copse Road Aldershot, Hampshire GU11 2HH United Kingdom Telephone: +44 (0) 1252 510300 fax: +44 (0) 1252 376999

## Aircraft

- Registration: G-REDU (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: EUROCOPTER EC225
- Category: Helicopter
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Non-U.S., non-commercial
- Operator: Bond Offshore Helicopters Ltd
- Registered owner: Bond Offshore Helicopters Ltd
- Airworthiness certificate: Unknown
- Departed: Aberdeen
- Destination: North Sea
- Flight plan: Unknown

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

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