Leigh Goldsmith witnessed the crash and told the Isle of Wight County Press she saw the helicopter “spiraling” before impact. She said she was driving towards Shanklin when she saw the aircraft go out of sight and crash into a hedge. Goldsmith added that she was first on the scene and saw people onboard, where she believes airbags had been activated.
The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance stated its team arrived within minutes with a doctor and specialist paramedic. One patient received treatment at the scene before being flown to Southampton’s Major Trauma Centre. AAIB inspectors have been sent to collect evidence at the site.
Northumbria Helicopters confirmed that its Robinson R44 II helicopter, registered G-OCLV, was involved in the accident with four people onboard including the pilot. The flight left Sandown Airport around 09:00 for a flying lesson according to information from Northumbria Helicopters cited by BBC News (https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-hampshire-66624735). The company is cooperating fully with authorities during their investigation.
Shanklin Town Council commented: "Shanklin Town Council was shocked to hear about the incident involving a pleasure flight helicopter crash landing on the outskirts of the town...This is a tragic accident and the pilot deserves huge credit for bringing down the helicopter in a field away from any built up areas."
The crash happened during a busy bank holiday weekend when many tourists were visiting for events such as an annual scooter rally. Joe Robertson, Conservative MP for Isle of Wight East, noted that although rural, the location is near major roads connecting Shanklin, Sandown, and Ventnor. Some local businesses experienced disruption due to road closures as emergency vehicles remained at work.
The Robinson R44 II is a four-seat light helicopter produced by Robinson Helicopter Company since gaining certification in 1992; deliveries began in 1993. It evolved from Robinson’s smaller R22 model with improvements like hydraulic assistance and increased payload capacity through its Lycoming IO-540 engine. Nearly 6,000 units were delivered between 2001 and 2020 globally across various variants such as Raven II and Clipper II models featuring two-bladed rotors and crashworthy fuel tanks.
The R44 remains widely used worldwide by private owners, flying clubs, commercial operators—including US collegiate flight schools—and law enforcement agencies.
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