News
Two pilots die in AW609 crash
November 5, 2015 By Helicopters Magazine
The AgustaWestland AW609 tiltrotor program is under scrutiny following the crash of a prototype aircraft in Italy that killed two of its test pilots.
The crash happened Friday near Santhia in northern Italy, just 10 minutes after takeoff. AgustaWestland issued the following statement:
“Finmeccanica–AgustaWestland confirms the loss of one prototype AW609 tiltrotor and the tragic loss of two pilots. The Company’s deepest sympathies are with the families. Finmeccanica–AgustaWestland is working with the relevant authorities to determine the cause of the accident.”
The AW609 has been dubbed as a “game changer” on many levels by the company, capable of a variety of missions including SAR, oil and gas, maritime surveillance and more. Certification of the aircraft was set for 2017 with customer deliveries to begin in 2018.
