This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-29227193
The article has changed 11 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Helicopter crashes into sea near lighthouse in East Yorkshire | Helicopter crashes into sea near lighthouse in East Yorkshire |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A helicopter has crashed off the coast of East Yorkshire, police have said. | A helicopter has crashed off the coast of East Yorkshire, police have said. |
| A member of the public saw the aircraft crash between the lighthouse and the golf course in Flamborough shortly after 13:40 BST. | A member of the public saw the aircraft crash between the lighthouse and the golf course in Flamborough shortly after 13:40 BST. |
| Police said it was not clear how many people were on board the helicopter, which was on a flight from Durham Tees Valley Airport to Humberside Airport. | |
| Eyewitnesses reported hearing a "loud crack" before the private helicopter started to descend. | |
| It is unclear what caused the helicopter to crash, police said. | It is unclear what caused the helicopter to crash, police said. |
| There was "a quantity of what appears to be aviation fuel in the water around the crash site, making it potentially unsafe at present", a police spokesman said. | |
| 'Loud crack' | 'Loud crack' |
| Eyewitness Chris Palmer told BBC Radio 5 Live: "We heard the helicopter. It was like a white, private helicopter going along the coast. | Eyewitness Chris Palmer told BBC Radio 5 Live: "We heard the helicopter. It was like a white, private helicopter going along the coast. |
| "We all heard this really loud crack and looked up again. | "We all heard this really loud crack and looked up again. |
| "The helicopter started to descend, almost like a plane when it lands. | "The helicopter started to descend, almost like a plane when it lands. |
| "It then went behind the cliff and that's when I called the emergency services. I never actually heard it hit the sea." | |
| Rod Marwood, the course chairman of Flamborough Golf Club, said he was on the course and saw part of the incident. | |
| "It was just another one of the helicopters we get flying by, especially at the north [side of the head]," he said. | |
| 'Dangerous cliff edges' | |
| "I had not taken much notice, but then the engine noise changed. I was far way away but could see it going down and trying to get to land. | |
| "Then it just disappeared down side of the cliffs and never reappeared. | |
| "Some guys heard bump or smack and there was smell of aviation fuel. It was over in four or five seconds". | |
| The RNLI said lifeboats from Bridlington and Flamborough were at the scene. | The RNLI said lifeboats from Bridlington and Flamborough were at the scene. |
| People have been advised to stay away from the area "until further notice due to the dangerous cliff edges". | People have been advised to stay away from the area "until further notice due to the dangerous cliff edges". |
| Paul Litten, commercial director at Humberside Airport, confirmed the aircraft was flying "inbound" to the airport but had "not handed over to their air traffic control". | |
| He said the medium-sized private helicopter was on a flight from Durham Tees Valley Airport towards Humberside, before heading to another destination in the UK. | |
| The UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) has been informed. |