Hedsor House: Helicopter caught fire on film set, report says

The helicopter caught fire about 10 seconds after the pilot made a precautionary landing, the report said

A helicopter caught fire on a film set after smoke was spotted coming from the engine, a report said.

The Airbus G-BOSN was hovering 20ft (6m) above the ground at Hedsor House in Buckinghamshire when the smoke was spotted by production crew, on 2 March.

The pilot landed immediately and instructed a stunt double to exit the helicopter. About 10 seconds later it then caught fire, an Air Accidents Investigation Branch report said.

No-one was injured.

Hedsor House, in Taplow, has been used as a filming location for productions including Downton Abbey, Dustin Hoffman's directorial debut Quartet and the Golden Compass, starring Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig.

However, it has not been revealed what production the helicopter was being used for.

Paint blistering could be seen on the helicopter after the incident

The Air Accidents Investigation Branch found the fire was caused by a failure of a securing clamp.

"The fire was determined to have been caused by the loss of retention of the right engine inboard exhaust nozzle, which was released because of the failure of its securing clamp," the report said.

"The released nozzle had blocked the overboard exhaust outlet and allowed hot exhaust gases to impinge on the engine cowlings leading to local overheating."

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The clamp failure was caused by an "incorrect locker washer being fitted during maintenance and elevates engine vibration", the report said.

The helicopter manufacturer was "taking safety action" and amending the manual to highlight "the correct installation of the clamp".