Denmark grounds Lynx fleet after ditching incident

01/09/11 By Craig Hoyle SOURCE:Flight International

Denmark has grounded its fleet of AgustaWestland Lynx helicopters while it awaits the findings of an investigation into a non-fatal crash.

One of Denmark's eight Lynx 90Bs ditched in Greenland while preparing to land on the moored ocean patrol vessel the Hvid­bjørnen on 22 August.

Its three-person crew escaped injury, along with two passengers. Efforts were made to prevent the aircraft from sinking.

The grounding decision was confirmed on 29 August, with the action taken pending the expected arrival of the damaged aircraft at Karup air base in Denmark over the weekend of 23 September.

Chief of the Danish Tactical Air Command Maj Gen Henrik Røboe Dam said operations with the nation's remaining Lynx aircraft should resume after any ­required checks have been completed and following the inspection of the returned example.

Denmark's Rolls-Royce Gem-engined Lynx maritime helicopters were delivered in several batches between 1980 and 2001, as recorded in Flightglobal's HeliCAS database.