Aerospatiale AS355 accident near Snowdonia, Gb, March 29, 2017
On March 29, 2017 at about 3:00 pm local time, a Aerospatiale AS355 (helicopter), registered GOHCP, was destroyed in an accident during enroute near Snowdonia. It was a personal flight under non-U.S. private rules. 5 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 29, 2017 · about 3:00 pm local time
- Place
- Snowdonia, United Kingdom · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 5 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Aerospatiale AS355 F1 · all AS355s on the register
- Registration
- GOHCP · no longer on the register · serial 5249
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · non-U.S. private rules
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On March 29, 2017, about 1500 coordinated universal time, an Aerospatiale AS355 F1 helicopter, G-OHCP, collided with Rhinog Fawr mountain in Snowdonia, Wales, United Kingdom. The pilot and four passengers were fatally injured.The accident investigation is under the jurisdiction and control of the government of the United Kingdom. This report is for information purposes only and contains only information released by or obtained from the United Kingdom. Further information pertaining to this accident may be obtained from: Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) Farnborough House Berkshire Copse Road Aldershot, Hampshire GU11 2HH, United Kingdom Tel: +44 (0)1252 510300 Fax: +44 (0)1252 376999 https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/air-accidents-investigation-branch
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT) during enroute defining event
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine 1: Rolls-Royce 250-C20F (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Rolls-Royce 250-C20F (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Not recorded
The flight
- Departed from: Milton Keynes
- Destination: EIWT Dublin
- Flight plan: not recorded
Weather at the time
- Wind: from 170° at 22 knots
- Visibility: 4 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 300 ft
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.94 inHg
- Observation at 2:50 pm from EGOD, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 4 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The NTSB has not released the docket for this case yet. The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), is usually released when the investigation is nearly complete, and the list here is refreshed when it appears. Check at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.