The pilots of a Sikorsky S-92A search and rescue helicopter were unaware, as they maneuvered toward a waypoint on the Irish coast in poor weather at night, that the waypoint was next to a 282-ft-high obstacle – a lighthouse and its surrounding terrain. The helicopter stuck the terrain and then plunged into the Atlantic Ocean, killing all four crewmembers.
Unaware
The crew of an Irish SAR S-92 did not know their first waypoint was adjacent to a 282-ft obstacle.