Mcdonnell Douglas MD-902 accident near Fretin, Fr, August 2, 2008
On August 2, 2008 at about 8:35 am local time, a Mcdonnell Douglas MD-902 (helicopter), registered OONHL, suffered minor damage in an accident near Fretin. It was a positioning flight under non-U.S. private rules. No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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
- August 2, 2008 · about 8:35 am local time
- Place
- Fretin, France · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mcdonnell Douglas MD-902
- Registration
- OONHL · no longer on the register
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · non-U.S. private rules
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On August 2, 2008, at 0835 coordinated universal time (1035 central European Summer Time), a McDonnell Douglas MD-902, Belgium registered OO-NHL, operated by Noordzee Helikopters Vlaanderen, experienced a separation of the right hand sliding door while in flight near Fretin, France. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The pilot, doctor, and nurse were not injured. The flight originated from Lille Hospital, Lille, France, and was en route to Fourmies, France. The French investigators reported that while in cruise flight, the pilot experienced a "heavy/violent yaw to the right followed by a descent of the helicopter." At the same time, the flight nurse reported to the pilot that the right side door had separated. The accident investigation is under the jurisdiction and control of the French government. This report is for informational purposes only and contains only information released by or obtained from the French government or Bureau d'Enquêtes et d'Analyses. Further information pertaining to this accident may be obtained from: Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau Bureau d'Enquêtes et d'Analyses Zone Sud 200 rue de Paris Aêroport du Bourget 93350 Le Bourget Cedex France
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
Pilot
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
The flight
- Departed from: Lille Hospital at 8:35 am
- Destination: Fourmies
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Wind: from 225° at 19 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.01 inHg
- Observation at 10:30 am from FQQ
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket 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.