A tragic helicopter crash on the Isle of Wight has left families and communities in mourning. The accident occurred near Shanklin on Monday morning when a Robinson R44 aircraft came down shortly after departing from Sandown Airport. On board were four people including the pilot. Three people sadly died while one person survived and remains in hospital with serious injuries.
Two of the victims have been named as Justyna Czoska and her partner Wojtek Kowalkowski, who lived in Bloxham, Oxfordshire. The couple’s family has described themselves as heartbroken and struggling to cope with the sudden loss. Justyna’s daughter Julia Buzar wrote a moving tribute on Facebook saying her mother was taken too soon and was loved by everyone who knew her. She appealed for help to bring both her mother and Wojtek back to Poland so they can be laid to rest with their families.
A close family friend has launched a fundraiser to support the cost of repatriation, funerals and travel. He explained that the event has left the families devastated and that the expenses are too great to manage without outside support. Tributes have begun to pour in from friends, relatives and colleagues.
Justyna Czoska was an instructor at Turpins Lodge Riding School in Oxfordshire where she had worked since March 2024. Staff at the school described her as cheerful, reliable and conscientious. They said she was well liked by both staff and customers and would leave a huge gap in the community. The school shared their sadness and expressed condolences to her daughters and loved ones while noting that lessons may be disrupted as they adjust to the tragedy.
Eyewitnesses to the crash reported that the helicopter appeared to spiral before it struck the ground in a field beside the A3020. Emergency services rushed to the scene and one injured passenger was airlifted to University Hospital Southampton. Police have confirmed investigations are ongoing to establish the cause of the crash.
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The helicopter was operated by Northumbria Helicopters and had departed from Sandown Airport around 09:00. The flight was part of a training session with four people on board. The aircraft involved was a Robinson R44 II registered as G OCLV. The name of the third victim has not yet been released by authorities.
The tragedy has shocked the Isle of Wight community and left grieving families in both the United Kingdom and Poland.
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