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Kim Carter: Report sheds new light on air tragedy
A report today shed new light on a helicopter crash that killed a Horsforth scoutmaster.
Kim Carter, a 54-year-old Leeds scoutmaster, died when his Robinson R22 chopper crashed near Doncaster in February.
Now an Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AIIB) report has revealed the tragedy happened on what was only Mr Carter's sixth solo flight.
His helicopter plunged into the ground close to the M180 just over half an hour into the training sortie from Sandtoft Airfield in Lincolnshire.
The AAIB report says the aircraft appears to have suffered an abrupt loss of engine power following the failure of an electrical generator.
It also says a loss of power in a Robinson R22 needs "immediate and correct action" from the pilot to perform an autorotation manoeuvre.
Autorotation allows a helicopter that has suffered power failure to land safely by using air movement to keep its rotor system running.
Any delay in performing the manoeuvre, says the report, means the rotor will slow to a point "from which recovery is impossible".
It goes on to say: "(Mr Carter] had practised autorotations earlier in the day .... but, despite this, it seems he was not able to maintain rotor (revolutions per minute] and successfully enter autorotation when an actual loss of power occurred."
One reason for that failure, says the report, could have been his "relatively low experience".
Mr Carter lived in Bierley, Bradford, and worked as an electrician for Ilkley-based construction firm NG Bailey.
The father-of-three had been the leader of Horsforth's 7th Airedale scout group for 15 years.
Speaking in February, assistant scout leader Derek Bulmer described Mr Carter as "an inspiration".
The AAIB report says Mr Carter began training at a Leeds Bradford Airport-based flying school in 2005.
He made his first solo flight in July 2007 after completing 55 hours of training with an instructor.
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Saturday 04 February 2012
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