🇬🇧Helicopter incidents in United Kingdom

This database records 177 helicopter incidents in United Kingdom, the earliest in 1981 and the most recent in 2026. 8 have been recorded so far in 2026. The worst single year was 2018, with 25 incidents.

186 deaths across 30 fatal accidents, which is 17% of all incidents recorded here. Every other accident in United Kingdom was survived by everyone on board. The deadliest was on 1986-11-06 at Shetland Islands, which killed 45.

The most frequently recorded type is the Robinson R22 Beta with 15 incidents, followed by the Leonardo AW139 with 9. That reflects how many of each type fly in United Kingdom rather than how safe they are.

Where a cause has been established, the most common is pilot error, in 75 accidents, then mechanical failure in 39. Many records carry no established cause, either because the investigation is open or because none was published.