A PROBABLE cause in the Grand Canyon helicopter crash that killed five Britons was the pilot losing control due to tailwind conditions, a report has concluded. The pilot told investigators that the aircraft encountered a violent gust of wind and began to spin, according to the report by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) in the US. The Airbus EC130 B4 was engulfed in flames after crashing at the Arizona tourist attraction shortly before sunset on February 10 in 2018. Brothers Stuart and Jason Hill, 30 and 32, originally from Worthing, were killed in the tragedy, along with Stuart s 27-year-old girlfriend Becky Dobson.
Helicopter crash victims Becky Dobson, left, Stuart Hill, centre, and Jason Hill
Brothers Stuart and Jason Hill, 30 and 32, originally from Worthing, West Sussex, were
killed in the tragedy, along with Stuart s 27-year-old girlfriend Becky Dobson, when the Airbus EC130 B4 went down shortly before sunset on 10 February 2018.
Their friends, honeymooning newlyweds Ellie Udall, from West Sussex, and Jonathan Udall, originally from Southampton, also died from injuries sustained in the crash. Image: Newlyweds Jonathan and Ellie Udall. She survived the initial crash but never regained consciousness
Jason s girlfriend Jennifer Dorricott survived but with life-changing injuries after the aircraft burst into flames on impact.
The group were on holiday in the US to celebrate Stuart s 30th birthday and the Udalls as newlyweds with a trip to Las Vegas.
A tourist helicopter crash that killed five holidaying Britons in the Grand Canyon was caused by a violent gust of wind , an investigation has concluded.
Ellie Milward, Jonathan Udall, Stuart Hill, Becky Dobson and Jason Hill died when the Airbus EC130 B4 crashed near the Colorado River in Arizona in 2018.
The National Transportation Safety Board released its final report yesterday that said tailwinds, potential downdrafts and turbulence were the probable cause of the loss of control and tail-rotor effectiveness.
The investigation found no evidence of mechanical problems with the helicopter. The report did not include any safety recommendations.
The helicopter crashed just before sunset in February 2018 in a section of the Grand Canyon where air tours aren t as highly regulated as in the national park.