Briefing: Chopper crash remains a mystery

Investigators are still picking through the devastation after a helicopter crashed into a Glasgow pub on Friday night killing at least nine people. Mystery still surrounds exactly what caused the aircraft to fall out of the sky with such horrific consequences. Simon Jones provides an update.

What happened?

At 10:25pm (UK time) on Friday night a Scottish police helicopter crashed into a busy pub called The Clutha. The bar had about 120 revellers inside listening to a live band.

How did the helicopter crash?

It remains unclear. Earlier this week it was revealed that no mayday call was made from the chopper. The wreckage of the aircraft has been removed from the pub and will be subject to further testing.

Who died?

At least nine people dNine people died, including the three helicopter crew of David Traill, 51, and PCs Kirsty Nelis, 36, and Tony Collins, 43. The six people who were killed in the pub have been named as Samuel McGhee, Gary Arthur, Mark O’Prey, Colin Gibson, John McGarrigle and Robert Jenkins. A further 32 people were injured – 12 of whom are still in hospital.

What have investigators found out so far?

David Miller, deputy chief inspector of the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB), revealed that nothing detached from the craft in flight before the crash.

He said: “I can confirm that the helicopter does not have a flight data recorder. “However, it does have a significant number of modern electronic systems on board and it may be possible to recover recorded data from those systems.

“There were no emergency transmissions from the pilot before this accident.”

What kind of helicopter was it?

A Eurocopter EC 135 T2

Who was the pilot?

Captain David Traill was behind the controls when the helicopter went down. He was employed by helicopter operator Bond Air Services and had worked with the police for more than four years. Mr Traill served in the RAF as a Chinook pilot for 20 years, and was involved in both Gulf Wars. He was a qualified helicopter instructor and was the Chinook display captain in 2007.

Why has there been public criticism of the police operation?

Some members of the public voiced concern over the length of time it took police to identify the dead. Among the most vocal complainants were the family of missing Mark O’Prey — he has since been confirmed dead — who told media that the search for survivors took too long.

What have public figures said about the tragedy?

Celtic Manager, Neil Lennon, visited the scene of the crash and told media: “It’s an unforeseen tragedy that’s affected the whole city, and the city is united in grief at the minute. I was out myself on Friday night with some friends when I heard, so it puts a lot of things in perspective. Our own club has been affected indirectly with a young girl who plays with the ladies’ team losing her father, so I just wanted to come down on behalf of the club and pay respects to all the people involved.” 

Source: BBC online