The Pave Hawk HH60 helicopter from RAF Lakenheath was on a training mission and crashed at the north end of East Bank on the Norfolk Wildlife Trust Cley Marshes Nature Reserve at around 7pm on Tuesday evening. The four occupants in the helicopter died on the spot.
Details of the deceased will not be released until next of kin have been informed.
However it has now been confirmed that nobody from the surrounding area has been injured. The crash site, which lies to the west of East Bank in marshland, was cordoned off on Wednesday for the safety of those working to investigate the crash and recover the wreckage.
A second helicopter from RAF Lakenheath which landed on the marshes shortly after the crash also remains at the scene.
Chief Superintendent Bob Scully from Norfolk Constabulary, said ‘In order to carry out a thorough investigation in a safe manner, the area will remain cordoned off with no access for the general public. We will be working with our partners at the Ministry of Defence, Air Accident Investigation Branch and US Air Force to gather all evidence from the scene and then recover the aircraft’.
‘This is difficult terrain with marshland and tides coupled with wreckage containing munitions covering a large area. We must undertake this investigation and recovery operation in a careful and methodical way so we can provide answers as to why this crash happened. The popular activities of walking and bird-watching in this area will therefore be restricted until we have completed these tasks and ensured the marshes are safe.’
Details of the deceased will not be released until next of kin have been informed.
However it has now been confirmed that nobody from the surrounding area has been injured. The crash site, which lies to the west of East Bank in marshland, was cordoned off on Wednesday for the safety of those working to investigate the crash and recover the wreckage.
A second helicopter from RAF Lakenheath which landed on the marshes shortly after the crash also remains at the scene.
Chief Superintendent Bob Scully from Norfolk Constabulary, said ‘In order to carry out a thorough investigation in a safe manner, the area will remain cordoned off with no access for the general public. We will be working with our partners at the Ministry of Defence, Air Accident Investigation Branch and US Air Force to gather all evidence from the scene and then recover the aircraft’.
‘This is difficult terrain with marshland and tides coupled with wreckage containing munitions covering a large area. We must undertake this investigation and recovery operation in a careful and methodical way so we can provide answers as to why this crash happened. The popular activities of walking and bird-watching in this area will therefore be restricted until we have completed these tasks and ensured the marshes are safe.’