Prince Charles And Camilla Aboard A Helo That 'Lurched To The Side' Before Making An Emergency Landing

The U.K. Air Accidents Investigation Branch has released a report from an incident which occurred last May in which a helicopter carrying Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, made an emergency landing.

The Sikorsky S-76C helo carrying the heir to the throne and his wife to the Hay-on-Wye Literary Festival in Wales began suddenly to yaw to one side. The Daily Mail reports that the pilot, unable to stabilize the helicopter, declared a "Pan" emergency and executed a landing at a nearby airport.

The AAIB report said that a metal ball two millimeters in diameter in a control system shattered, causing a drop in hydraulic pressure. The reports said the ball "most likely" failed as the helicopter took off from London.

Four other passengers and two crew were on board the aircraft at the time of the incident.

According to the AAIB Report: "A detailed metallurgical analysis of the ball by the (USA) National Transportation Safety Board is continuing. However, the most likely cause of the ball fracture was an anomaly in its heat treatment process during manufacture."

The AAIB said Sikorsky is working on a safety advisory and a revision in the flight manual for the S-76C "to inform operators of the symptoms of a PDTA fault and actions to be taken by the crew."

A Royal aide described the incident as "terrifying," but the royal couple continued their journey on to the literary festival ... on the ground ... arriving three hours late.

(S-76D pictured in file photo)

FMI: www.aaib.gov.uk