Man dies and three injured in helicopter crash after taking off from Retford airfield
A man has died and a child and two other adults have been injured after a helicopter took off from a Retford airfield and crashed in Doncaster.
Emergency services were called to Ings Road, Bentley, near Doncaster, at 10.15am today (October 30) after a helicopter crashed in a field.
South Yorkshire Police have said a 70-year-old man suffered serious injuries in the crash and was pronounced dead at the scene.
The pilot, a 41-year-old man, and two other passengers, a 58-year-old woman and a 10-year-old boy, received minor injuries.
The four-seater Robinson R44 Raven II helicopter is believed to have crashed shortly after taking off at around 10am from Retford Gamston Airport, in Nottinghamshire.
Flight data footage appears to show the helicopter diverting off its flightpath over Wheatley Hall Road area before coming down.
Eyewitnesses reported at least 30 emergency vehicles at the scene behind a police cordon.
A spokesperson for the airport said that the aircraft was based at the airport and operated by an onsite tenant.
A parallel investigation has been launched between The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) and South Yorkshire Police.
Ings Road remained closed all day while emergency services carried out their work.
Detective Chief Inspector Gary Magnay, silver commander, said: “Our thoughts are with the family and loved ones of the man who sadly died in this tragic incident.
“We and our emergency services colleagues remain at the scene and we have launched a full joint investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident in parallel with the AAIB.
“As part of our investigation, we’d ask for anyone with information to get in touch.
“If you were in the area at the time and saw the events unfold, please contact us.
"We are particularly keen to hear from those with footage of the helicopter leading up to the crash.”
If you can have information which could help the investigation, please contact us online or by calling 101, quoting incident number 218 of 30 October 2025.