A “mindless act of curiosity” by a member of the public led to an accident in which an escape hatch fell from a British military helicopter in flight at the Salthill airshow last year, injuring two spectators, an official report has found.
The hatch fell some 46m (150ft) from the Royal Air Force Merlin helicopter, which had taken off from the promenade at about 6pm on June 24th last year.
Spectators below were seen to “scatter in different” directions in an effort to avoid the 7kg aluminium door as it fell to the ground, according to the report by the Air Accident Investigation Unit (AAIU) of the Department of Transport.
Safety recommendations made by the air accident investigators to the Irish Aviation Authority on its guidelines for airshows were accepted by that body following the incident.
About 400 members of the public entered the interior of the helicopter while it was on display on the ground during the day.
It appeared a handle was interfered with by a member of the public, switching it to a position which caused the emergency escape hatch to eject from a sliding cargo door when the helicopter took off, the report found.
A woman injured by the falling hatch said she and her sons were getting ready to leave the airshow when she heard people screaming.
“I looked up and saw an object, which I now know to be a door coming towards me. I moved backwards to avoid the object, but it struck me on the chin and knocked me backwards,” she said.
The woman was taken to University College Hospital Galway by ambulance and was given medical attention.
“I was later discharged from hospital, but am still feeling the affects of the impact,” she said.
Air accident investigators found that the locking mechanism for the emergency hatch was serviceable.
However, a seal which would not normally be moved except in the case of an “intentional emergency jettison” or during maintenance was found to be broken.
“Photographic evidence shows that the hatch handle was interfered with by an unknown member of the public while the helicopter was positioned at the static display park. The helicopter took off with the hatch handle in the open/jettison position. As it transitioned away, the hatch ejected from its stowed position and fell to earth,” the report said.
“The investigation does not consider this event to be the result of a malicious act, but more a mindless act of curiosity on the part of an unknown spectator.”
The report said the crew of the Merlin should have been more alert to the possibility that the helicopter could have been interfered with in the circumstances that existed on the day.