Sikorsky S61 accident near Marchwood, New Hampshire, Gb, February 1, 2018
On February 1, 2018 at about 11:00 am local time, a Sikorsky S61 (helicopter), registered GATBJ, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Marchwood, New Hampshire. It was flown under rules the NTSB did not record. No one was hurt.
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
- February 1, 2018 · about 11:00 am local time
- Place
- Marchwood, New Hampshire, United Kingdom
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt.
- Weather
- not recorded
- Aircraft
- Sikorsky S61 N · all S61s on the register
- Registration
- GATBJ · no longer on the register
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · rules the NTSB did not record
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On February 1, 2018, a Sikorsky S-61N helicopter (G-ATBJ, s/n 6126930-439), pitched down and stuck the ground while hovering after takeoff near Marchwood, Hampshire in the United Kingdom. There was two persons on board, who were not injured. This investigation is under the jurisdiction and control of the government of the United Kingdom. Any further information may be obtained from: Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) Telephone: +44 0 1252 51300 Facsimile: +44 0 1252 376699 Email: investigations@aaib.gov.uk This report is for informational purposes only and contains only information released by, or obtained from, the 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
- Ground collision during takeoff defining event
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Not recorded
The flight
- Flight plan: not recorded
Weather at the time
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.