An interim investigation report into the crash of a AgustaWestland AW609 tilt-rotor on Oct. 30, 2015 has been released by ANSV.
Italian investigators found that the aircraft’s control flight laws had played a part in causing the prototype to enter “an augmented Dutch roll” that doomed the two-men crew.
ANSV also found that Italian manufacturer Leonardo Helicopters did not fully understand the aerodynamic characteristics of the aircraft at high-speed phases of flight. The mishap aircraft was carrying out its third dive at 293kts when the incident happened.
The AW609 has been ordered by the United Arab Emirates’ Ministry of Defense for search-and-rescue duties.