Ireland

‘We’re gone’: Transcript details last moments before Rescue 116 helicopter crash

Air Accident Investigation Unit report details final one minute and 40 seconds from cockpit voice recorder

Navy divers who were involved in the Rescue 116 Wreckage Recovery at Blackrock, Belmullet, Co Mayo. Photograph: Keith Heneghan / Phocus
Navy divers who were involved in the Rescue 116 Wreckage Recovery at Blackrock, Belmullet, Co Mayo. Photograph: Keith Heneghan / Phocus
Thu Apr 13 2017 - 21:43

Below is an extract of the last 1 minute and 40 seconds from the cockpit voice recorder from last month’s Rescue 116 helicopter crash off the north Mayo coast in which four Irish Coast Guard members died. It was released in the preliminary report of the Air Accident Investigation Unit on Thursday night.

Rear Crew Channel (records from both rear crew members): Belmullet Coast Guard Radio from Rescue one one six, sixteen

Belmullet Coast Guard: Rescue one one six This is Belmullet Coastguard Radio sixteen go ahead

Rear Crew Channel: Roger Belmullet Coast Guard Radio from one one six eh yes we should be landing very shortly now at Blacksod and we'll call again when airborne, over

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Commander: [unintelligible] coming left yep slowly coming left

Co-pilot: Roger

Commander: Groundspeed's gonna start increasing

Belmullet Coast Guard: That's all copied, we'll standby, thanks very much, standing by on sixteen

Commander: Eh the baro's a little bit off but we're on radalt only

Co-pilot : Roger

One point three err miles to run to eh blackmo…

Co-pilot: and after that its bravo kilo sierra delta alpha

Commander: Roger

Commander: Copied and with you have eh indicated airspeed search and radalt confirmed

Co-pilot: Roger

Co-pilot: OK so small target at six miles eleven o'clock

Large

out to the right there

ehm

Commander: Roger

Other Source [Automated on-board alert] : ALTITUDE

Commander: Eh just a small little island… that's B L M O itself

Other Source: Altitude

Rear Crew Channel : K…looking at an island just in, directly ahead of us now guys, you want to come right [Commander's Name]

Commander: OK, come right just confirm?

Rear Crew Channel: About…

twenty degrees right yeah

Commander: OK Come Right…select heading

Commander: Select

Co-Pilot: Roger

Commander: heading

Co-Pilot: Heading selected

Rear Crew Channel: Come right now

come right

COME RIGHT

Other Source: ALTITUDE

Co-pilot: [EXPLETIVE]

OOOHHHH

Other Source: ALTITUDE

Co-pilot: [EXPLETIVE]

Other Source: SMOKE IN BAGGAGE

Co-Pilot: We're gone

SMOKE IN BAGGAGE

2 PINGS

DECOUPLE

TOO LOW GEAR

Co-pilot: [Short muffled sound]

Other source:

TOO LOW GE....