Three people dead and one seriously injured after Isle of Wight helicopter crash
Three people have died after a helicopter crashed during a flying lesson on the Isle of Wight, police say.
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The helicopter had four people on board, including the pilot, when it crashed, the operator Northumbria Helicopters, has said.
One person remains in a serious condition after being airlifted to hospital, police confirmed.
The helicopter crashed near the A3020 Shanklin Road at 9.24am, according to the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance.
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary said: "We can confirm that three people have died following a helicopter crash on the Isle of Wight this morning.
"Four people in total were on board, with one person currently in hospital in a serious condition.
"At this time we are unable to provide further information about the people involved, as efforts continue to contact and support their families.
"We will not be commenting on the circumstances of the incident but continue to work alongside the Air Accident Investigation Branch."
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A spokeswoman for Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance said: “We can confirm our dispatchers deployed the air ambulance at 09.28 to an incident near Ventnor on the Isle of Wight today.
“The critical care team consisting of a doctor and a specialist paramedic are on scene working alongside our emergency service colleagues.”
Chris Quirk, the Conservative councillor for Shanklin South on the Isle of Wight told LBC: "It's very sad to what's happened, but maybe a miracle that the aircraft didn't actually crash into the town and maybe someone on that aircraft was a bit of a hero."
"The reaction from the community is shock. And obviously our thoughts and prayers are with the families of those who've been affected by this tragic accident."
"The aircraft quite often go over the town and so the fact that the crash was in the fields just beyond the town but very close to the town, that is always a possibility."
A Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service spokeswoman said: “Firefighters from Newport, Ventnor and Shanklin were called out shortly before 09.30am on Monday, 25 August, following reports of a light aircraft incident near Shanklin Road.”
A spokesman for the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) said: “The AAIB was notified of an accident involving a light helicopter on the Isle of Wight this morning. We are deploying a team to commence an investigation.”
