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The 2025 Isle of Wight helicopter crash occurred on 25 August 2025, when a Robinson R44 II helicopter crashed near Shanklin, on the Isle of Wight, United Kingdom. The aircraft was conducting a flight lesson operated by Northumbria Helicopters when it went down in a field close to the busy A3020 Shanklin Road shortly after departing Sandown Airport.

Three people were killed, including the instructor and two passengers, while one person survived with serious injuries.

• Background
• Crash
• Casualties
• Investigation
• Reactions
• References

The helicopter involved was a Robinson R44 Raven II, registration G-OCLV, operated by Northumbria Helicopters, a company providing pilot training and charter services across the UK. The flight was a scheduled training exercise that took off from Sandown Airport on the morning of the crash.

The Robinson R44 has been involved in several notable accidents worldwide, often attracting attention due to its widespread use in civilian pilot training.

At approximately 09:20 BST, the aircraft was seen spiralling out of control before striking the ground in a field near Shanklin. Despite the crash site’s proximity to a major road, no vehicles or pedestrians were struck.

Emergency services, including police, fire, and paramedics, arrived quickly. One survivor, a man in his 30s, was airlifted to University Hospital Southampton, where he was treated for critical injuries and later reported to be in a stable condition.

Four people were on board. The three fatalities were later named as:

• Simon Hewitt (54), the pilot and instructor, from Lincolnshire.
• Justyna Czoska (52), a horse-riding instructor originally from Banbury, Oxfordshire.
• Wojciech “Wojtek” Kowalkowski (49), Czoska’s partner, also from Oxfordshire.

Both Czoska and Kowalkowski were from Poland. The survivor has not been publicly identified as of 27 August.

Families and friends of the victims issued tributes in the days following the crash. A fundraising campaign was launched to repatriate the bodies of Czoska and Kowalkowski to Poland for burial.

The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) launched an inquiry into the incident, working alongside Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary and the coroner. The wreckage was removed for examination, and investigators began gathering witness statements and flight data.

The final report is expected to take around 12 months to complete.

The crash shocked the local community. Isle of Wight officials and emergency services were praised for their rapid response. The Police and Crime Commissioner for Hampshire & Isle of Wight, Donna Jones, issued a public statement expressing condolences to the victims’ families.

Media coverage highlighted both the victims’ personal lives and the wider safety record of the Robinson R44 helicopter.

Joe Robertson, the MP for Isle of Wight East, said he was heartbroken by the crash.I

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