A specialist team of rescuers have recovered the bodies of two men after a helicopter crashed at the bottom of a cliff in Yorkshire, Humberside police have confirmed. The AB206B helicopter was flying from Edinburgh to Humberside Airport when it crashed close to cliffs at Flamborough Head in Yorkshire at around 1.30pm. The aircraft was 30 mintues from Humberside where it was due to refuel before continuing to Retford, Nottinghamshire. A photograph on Twitter claims to show the aircraft, which is flying low over the sea, ten minutes before the accident. Scroll down for video . A photograph claiming to show the helicopter ten minutes before the crash was published on Twitter last night. The aircraft in the photograph is shown flying low beneath heavy cloud above the sea . The AB206B Jet Ranger II aircraft, pictured, took off this morning from Edinburgh and was due to refuel in Hull before continuing to Retford, Nottinghamshire before it crashed into a cliff in Flamborough Head in Yorkshire . Police confirmed that the bodies of two men were recovered from the scene of the crash at Flamborough Head, Yorkshire shortly before 5pm . Eyewitnesses said the pilot appeared to be heading for an emergency landing near a cliff top when the helicopter’s engine failed, causing it to plummet more than 200ft.RAF rescuers were on the scene within minutes. Both men on board were confirmed dead at around 5pm and their bodies recovered. Barry Rhodes, 71, was playing golf on a course just yards from the sea when he ‘spotted a helicopter that seemed to be in a bit of bother’. He added: ‘It looked as though it was coming in to land on the cliff top. But as it did, there was a loud screech and then the engine cut out. ‘The helicopter just dropped to the ground at speed ... it hit the bottom of the cliff that meets with the sea. It was the most horrific thing I have ever seen.’ Greenkeeper Scott Cooper said: ‘It started to splutter and sway, and I thought the pilot was trying to make a landing but it didn’t make it. ‘We couldn’t see a great deal over the cliffs but a few bits of the helicopter, and there was a very strong smell of fuel. It was awful.’ Brian Vickers, 68 from Selby on . holiday in Flamborough said: 'I saw the helicopter fly past our cottage . far too low. I knew it was in trouble. 'I . followed it to the edge of the cliff and saw it go on its side. It . disappeared below the cliff and I knew it had gone down. It all went . quiet. There was no noise from any impact. The rescue services were here . within minutes.' The . aircraft is a Augusta Bell AB206B Jet Ranger II. The single-engined . helicopter was built in Italy in 1978 and had flown for more than 14,000 . hours. It is . understood that the aircraft was flying under visual flight rules which . means the pilot must be able to see the ground at all times. The . wreckage  was found at the base of the 250 foot cliff. Volunteers from . the RNLI recovered parts of the helicopter from the sea near the crash . site. Air Accident Investigators will consider whether the low cloud base this morning in the area of the crash site was a factor in the crash. Searchers began the task of recovering the wreckage and trying to determine the cause of crash . Both victims, who have not yet been named, were recovered from the scene shortly before 5pm . The RNLI, pictured, assisted the RAF and Coastguard in today's rescue and recovery operation . Humberside Police said: 'The helicopter, which had two men on board at the time, was a private charter which had taken off from an airfield near Edinburgh earlier this morning heading to its final destination near Retford. 'Emergency services including the Air Ambulance, the Coast Guard and Air Sea  Rescue attended the area right away and a search was carried out which resulted in the helicopter being located in the sea off the coast of Flamborough near the light house. 'Two men were recovered from the aircraft shortly before 1700hrs. Both sadly deceased. 'The Air Accident Investigation Branch will be leading the investigation into the incident to establish the circumstances which resulted in the aircraft crashing into the sea. 'Again, members of public and the media are asked to avoid the area which is sealed off until further notice due to the site being close to dangerous cliff  edges and there also being a quantity of what appears to be aviation fuel in the water around the crash site making it potentially unsafe at present.' The bodies of the pilot and his passenger were recovered from the scene after Ministry of Defence firemen equipped with specialist cutters removed them from the wreckage. The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) launched two volunteer crews from Flamborough and Bridlington to assist in the rescue and later recovery operation. Chris Feast, from Flamborough Head Golf Club, said a number of golfers had spotted a helicopter trying to land near the 17th green and then reported hearing a 'loud bang and crash' The aircraft, which was on a private flight from Edinburgh to Nottinghamshire, crashed close to cliffs at Flamborough Head, at around 1.30pm - sparking a major search operation . A spokeswoman said: 'Flamborough . RNLI’s Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboat launched at 1.45pm, followed soon . after by Bridlington RNLI all-weather lifeboat. The volunteer crews . spent some time searching an area in Selwicks Bay and later stood by at . sea to support coastguard, fire and rescue and other emergency service . colleagues in the rescue operation.' Flamborough . RNLI crew member Cole Ibbotson said: 'We could see the wreckage of the . helicopter at the bottom of the cliff and could see where it had hit. The swell was too big for the lifeboat to get in close so we were tasked . to undertake a search pattern for wreckage with Bridlington all-weather . lifeboat. We recovered a number of items which we have passed on to the . police. 'We are all devastated that this service didn't have a . positive outcome and that we couldn't help the people on board the . helicopter. Our thoughts and sympathy are very much with their family . and friends tonight.' It is believed a search has located the helicopter in the sea off the coast of Flamborough near the lighthouse . The two RNLI lifeboats crews were stood down at 5.45pm. The commercial director of Humberside . Airport, Paul Litten, said: 'At the time of the crash the aircraft was . just at the tip of our space and was just leaving Durham Tees. 'The . flight was still about 30 to 40 minutes away from our airport. The . helicopter was due here to refuel and then take off again on its journey . to his further destination. We do not know where the helicopter was . heading to. 'Over the course . of a weekend we do get a lot of flights taking advantage of the . Humberside coastline but we do not know whether the flight was business . or pleasure. 'Unless a flight is an external one we do not know who is onboard or how many are onboard. 'We can get flights coming in to us 30, 40, 50 times a day. This is not something unusual. Fortunately, . accidents like this in the UK are rare. Our thoughts are with the . families at this time, we can only hope for a positive outcome but it is . looking more like it may not be.' Lifeboats from Bridlington and Flamborough launched shortly after 1.30pm and the Yorkshire Air Ambulance has arrived at the scene . A fisherman who was in the area today said the weather was poor at the time of the crash. The . fisherman, who did not want to be named, said: 'I was out on the water . this morning and it was very foggy, bad conditions. I don’t know if that . played a part but the conditions were bad. 'All I’ve heard is that a helicopter went down this afternoon, about half a mile from the lighthouse, it’s right off the cliff. 'My . mate, who’s been talking to one of the lifeboat crew, told me there had . been two bodies pulled from the helicopter, with potentially a third.' Chris . Feast, from Flamborough Head Golf Club, said a number of golfers had . spotted a helicopter trying to land near the 17th green and then . reported hearing a 'loud bang and crash'. Police, Coastguard and ambulance service are on the scene as the rescue efforts continue . The AB206B aircraft was built in 1978 and had flown more than 14,116 hours . Paul Litten, commercial director for Humberside airport, said: 'This was a private flight from Durham Tees Valley and was due to arrive with our air traffic controllers later this afternoon. 'Police and the coast guard are dealing with the emergency. 'I knew it was due in and heard that an aircraft emergency had been called. Our  thoughts are with the people on board.' Leila Ann Evans said she saw the helicopter just 10 minutes before it crashed near Flamborough, Yorkshire . Lifeboats from Bridlington and Flamborough launched shortly afterwards and the Yorkshire Air Ambulance has arrived at the scene. Eye-witness Chris Palmer said he heard a loud 'crack' and the helicopter disappeared out of sight behind the cliffs. He told BBC Radio 5 Live: 'We heard the helicopter. It was like a white, private helicopter going along the coast. 'We all heard this really loud crack and looked up again. The helicopter started to descend, almost like a plane when it lands. 'It then went behind the cliff and that’s when I called the emergency services. I never actually heard it hit the sea.' Eyewitness Rod Marwood, course chairman at Flamborough Head Golf Club, said: 'I didn't see all of it as it was all over within 10 seconds. 'I only saw the helicopter disappearing below the cliff. 'We heard a change in the engine and it went. We thought it would reappear but never did. 'People who were closer said there was a flurry of engine activity in an attempt to try and get it back up in their air but it was futile. 'It's like a 250ft sheer drop from the cliff top straight into the sea with a few ledges on the way down.'
Helicopter crashed close to cliffs at Flamborough Head, East Yorkshire .
Police confirm that two men died and their bodies were recovered by 5pm .
The helicopter took off from Edinburgh earlier this morning .
The AB206B helicopter was built in 1978 and had flown for 14,000 hours .
Eyewitnesses saw the helicopter flying low above the sea before crash .
It was due to refuel at Humberside Airport before continuing ownwards .
The aircraft's final destination was  in Retford, Nottinghamshire .
Witnesses reported hearing a loud 'crack and bang' as it came down .
Police are working to determine who was onboard at the time of the crash .
A major search and rescue operation is now underway to find them .
One eyewitness said: 'I knew it was in trouble... it was flying far too low'
A specialist team of rescuers have recovered the bodies of two men after a helicopter crashed at the bottom of a cliff in Yorkshire, Humberside police have confirmed. The AB206B helicopter was flying from Edinburgh to Humberside Airport when it crashed close to cliffs at Flamborough Head in Yorkshire at around 1.30pm. The aircraft was 30 mintues from Humberside where it was due to refuel before continuing to Retford, Nottinghamshire. A photograph on Twitter claims to show the aircraft, which is flying low over the sea, ten minutes before the accident. Scroll down for video . A photograph claiming to show the helicopter ten minutes before the crash was published on Twitter last night. The aircraft in the photograph is shown flying low beneath heavy cloud above the sea . The AB206B Jet Ranger II aircraft, pictured, took off this morning from Edinburgh and was due to refuel in Hull before continuing to Retford, Nottinghamshire before it crashed into a cliff in Flamborough Head in Yorkshire . Police confirmed that the bodies of two men were recovered from the scene of the crash at Flamborough Head, Yorkshire shortly before 5pm . Eyewitnesses said the pilot appeared to be heading for an emergency landing near a cliff top when the helicopter’s engine failed, causing it to plummet more than 200ft.RAF rescuers were on the scene within minutes. Both men on board were confirmed dead at around 5pm and their bodies recovered. Barry Rhodes, 71, was playing golf on a course just yards from the sea when he ‘spotted a helicopter that seemed to be in a bit of bother’. He added: ‘It looked as though it was coming in to land on the cliff top. But as it did, there was a loud screech and then the engine cut out. ‘The helicopter just dropped to the ground at speed ... it hit the bottom of the cliff that meets with the sea. It was the most horrific thing I have ever seen.’ Greenkeeper Scott Cooper said: ‘It started to splutter and sway, and I thought the pilot was trying to make a landing but it didn’t make it. ‘We couldn’t see a great deal over the cliffs but a few bits of the helicopter, and there was a very strong smell of fuel. It was awful.’ Brian Vickers, 68 from Selby on . holiday in Flamborough said: 'I saw the helicopter fly past our cottage . far too low. I knew it was in trouble. 'I . followed it to the edge of the cliff and saw it go on its side. It . disappeared below the cliff and I knew it had gone down. It all went . quiet. There was no noise from any impact. The rescue services were here . within minutes.' The . aircraft is a Augusta Bell AB206B Jet Ranger II. The single-engined . helicopter was built in Italy in 1978 and had flown for more than 14,000 . hours. It is . understood that the aircraft was flying under visual flight rules which . means the pilot must be able to see the ground at all times. The . wreckage  was found at the base of the 250 foot cliff. Volunteers from . the RNLI recovered parts of the helicopter from the sea near the crash . site. Air Accident Investigators will consider whether the low cloud base this morning in the area of the crash site was a factor in the crash. Searchers began the task of recovering the wreckage and trying to determine the cause of crash . Both victims, who have not yet been named, were recovered from the scene shortly before 5pm . The RNLI, pictured, assisted the RAF and Coastguard in today's rescue and recovery operation . Humberside Police said: 'The helicopter, which had two men on board at the time, was a private charter which had taken off from an airfield near Edinburgh earlier this morning heading to its final destination near Retford. 'Emergency services including the Air Ambulance, the Coast Guard and Air Sea  Rescue attended the area right away and a search was carried out which resulted in the helicopter being located in the sea off the coast of Flamborough near the light house. 'Two men were recovered from the aircraft shortly before 1700hrs. Both sadly deceased. 'The Air Accident Investigation Branch will be leading the investigation into the incident to establish the circumstances which resulted in the aircraft crashing into the sea. 'Again, members of public and the media are asked to avoid the area which is sealed off until further notice due to the site being close to dangerous cliff  edges and there also being a quantity of what appears to be aviation fuel in the water around the crash site making it potentially unsafe at present.' The bodies of the pilot and his passenger were recovered from the scene after Ministry of Defence firemen equipped with specialist cutters removed them from the wreckage. The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) launched two volunteer crews from Flamborough and Bridlington to assist in the rescue and later recovery operation. Chris Feast, from Flamborough Head Golf Club, said a number of golfers had spotted a helicopter trying to land near the 17th green and then reported hearing a 'loud bang and crash' The aircraft, which was on a private flight from Edinburgh to Nottinghamshire, crashed close to cliffs at Flamborough Head, at around 1.30pm - sparking a major search operation . A spokeswoman said: 'Flamborough . RNLI’s Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboat launched at 1.45pm, followed soon . after by Bridlington RNLI all-weather lifeboat. The volunteer crews . spent some time searching an area in Selwicks Bay and later stood by at . sea to support coastguard, fire and rescue and other emergency service . colleagues in the rescue operation.' Flamborough . RNLI crew member Cole Ibbotson said: 'We could see the wreckage of the . helicopter at the bottom of the cliff and could see where it had hit. The swell was too big for the lifeboat to get in close so we were tasked . to undertake a search pattern for wreckage with Bridlington all-weather . lifeboat. We recovered a number of items which we have passed on to the . police. 'We are all devastated that this service didn't have a . positive outcome and that we couldn't help the people on board the . helicopter. Our thoughts and sympathy are very much with their family . and friends tonight.' It is believed a search has located the helicopter in the sea off the coast of Flamborough near the lighthouse . The two RNLI lifeboats crews were stood down at 5.45pm. The commercial director of Humberside . Airport, Paul Litten, said: 'At the time of the crash the aircraft was . just at the tip of our space and was just leaving Durham Tees. 'The . flight was still about 30 to 40 minutes away from our airport. The . helicopter was due here to refuel and then take off again on its journey . to his further destination. We do not know where the helicopter was . heading to. 'Over the course . of a weekend we do get a lot of flights taking advantage of the . Humberside coastline but we do not know whether the flight was business . or pleasure. 'Unless a flight is an external one we do not know who is onboard or how many are onboard. 'We can get flights coming in to us 30, 40, 50 times a day. This is not something unusual. Fortunately, . accidents like this in the UK are rare. Our thoughts are with the . families at this time, we can only hope for a positive outcome but it is . looking more like it may not be.' Lifeboats from Bridlington and Flamborough launched shortly after 1.30pm and the Yorkshire Air Ambulance has arrived at the scene . A fisherman who was in the area today said the weather was poor at the time of the crash. The . fisherman, who did not want to be named, said: 'I was out on the water . this morning and it was very foggy, bad conditions. I don’t know if that . played a part but the conditions were bad. 'All I’ve heard is that a helicopter went down this afternoon, about half a mile from the lighthouse, it’s right off the cliff. 'My . mate, who’s been talking to one of the lifeboat crew, told me there had . been two bodies pulled from the helicopter, with potentially a third.' Chris . Feast, from Flamborough Head Golf Club, said a number of golfers had . spotted a helicopter trying to land near the 17th green and then . reported hearing a 'loud bang and crash'. Police, Coastguard and ambulance service are on the scene as the rescue efforts continue . The AB206B aircraft was built in 1978 and had flown more than 14,116 hours . Paul Litten, commercial director for Humberside airport, said: 'This was a private flight from Durham Tees Valley and was due to arrive with our air traffic controllers later this afternoon. 'Police and the coast guard are dealing with the emergency. 'I knew it was due in and heard that an aircraft emergency had been called. Our  thoughts are with the people on board.' Leila Ann Evans said she saw the helicopter just 10 minutes before it crashed near Flamborough, Yorkshire . Lifeboats from Bridlington and Flamborough launched shortly afterwards and the Yorkshire Air Ambulance has arrived at the scene. Eye-witness Chris Palmer said he heard a loud 'crack' and the helicopter disappeared out of sight behind the cliffs. He told BBC Radio 5 Live: 'We heard the helicopter. It was like a white, private helicopter going along the coast. 'We all heard this really loud crack and looked up again. The helicopter started to descend, almost like a plane when it lands. 'It then went behind the cliff and that’s when I called the emergency services. I never actually heard it hit the sea.' Eyewitness Rod Marwood, course chairman at Flamborough Head Golf Club, said: 'I didn't see all of it as it was all over within 10 seconds. 'I only saw the helicopter disappearing below the cliff. 'We heard a change in the engine and it went. We thought it would reappear but never did. 'People who were closer said there was a flurry of engine activity in an attempt to try and get it back up in their air but it was futile. 'It's like a 250ft sheer drop from the cliff top straight into the sea with a few ledges on the way down.'
flying from Edinburgh to Humberside Airport when it crashed close to cliffs at Flamborough Head in refuel before continuing to Retford, cloud above the sea . The AB206B Jet Ranger II aircraft, pictured, took off this morning from continuing to Retford, Nottinghamshire before it Yorkshire . Police confirmed that the bodies of two men were recovered from the scene of the Flamborough said: 'I saw the helicopter fly past our cottage . far too low. I knew it was in was built in Italy in 1978 and had flown for more than 14,000 . hours. It is . understood that the off from an airfield near Edinburgh earlier this morning heading to its final destination near sparking a major search operation . A spokeswoman airport. The . helicopter was due here to refuel weather was poor at the time of the crash. The . reported hearing a 'loud bang and crash'. Police, said he heard a loud 'crack' and the helicopter