Three injured as result of helicopter crash

Three people, including the pilot, were injured this afternoon when a helicopter crashed in the Co. Meath village of Bettystown at around 4.30 pm.

The helicopter, Sikorsky S-76B N399BH msn 760311 is registered to Barrack Aviation Inc Trustee.

It had dropped two passengers off on the beach in Bettystown and had departed with the pilot as sole occupant. It flew low over the town and appeared to be in difficulty according to eye witnesses before attempting to land in the car park of the Neptune Hotel.

The pilot escaped before the helicopter was destroyed in a number of explosions. Two people suffered minor injuries from flying debris.

The centre of the town was sealed off and the Air Accident Investigation Unit attended the scene.

Prior to becoming N399BH the Sikorsky was registered N89WC and is pictured as such at the Heliexpo in Punchestown on June 6 2007.