Agusta AGUSTA AW169 accident near Leicester, Gb, October 27, 2018
On October 27, 2018 at about 8:45 pm local time, a Agusta AGUSTA AW169 (helicopter), registered GVSKP, was destroyed in an accident during takeoff near Leicester. It was flown under rules the NTSB did not record. 5 people were killed.
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
- October 27, 2018 · about 8:45 pm local time
- Place
- Leicester, United Kingdom
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 5 people were killed.
- Weather
- not recorded
- Aircraft
- Agusta AGUSTA AW169 No Series
- Registration
- GVSKP · no longer on the register · serial 69018
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight · rules the NTSB did not record
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
The United Kingdom's Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) has notified the NTSB of an accident involving an Agusta AW169, which occurred on October 27, 2018. The NTSB has appointed a U.S. Accredited Representative to assist the AAIB investigation under the provisions of ICAO Annex 13 as the State of Manufacturer and Design of airplane components. All investigative information will be released by the AAIB.
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
- Loss of control in flight during takeoff defining event
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 10,582 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: Leicester
- Destination: STN Stansted
Weather at the time
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.