This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/oct/23/clutha-helicopter-crash-switched-off-fuel-pumps-report

The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 2 Version 3
Clutha helicopter crash report: pilot did not follow emergency procedures Clutha helicopter crash report: pilot did not follow emergency procedures
(about 1 hour later)
The pilot of a police helicopter which ran out of fuel, crashing into a busy pub in Glasgow city centre and killing 10 people, did not follow emergency landing procedures despite acknowledging an audible low fuel warning five times. The pilot of a police helicopter that ran out of fuel, crashing into a busy pub in Glasgow city centre and killing 10 people, did not follow emergency landing procedures despite acknowledging an audible low-fuel warning five times.
The final conclusions of an air accident investigation into the Clutha tragedy state that pilot David Traill failed to land within the specified 10-minute period after “continuous activation of the low fuel warnings”, but offer no explanation as to why this happened. The final conclusions of an air accident investigation into the Clutha tragedy state that the pilot, David Traill, who died in the crash, failed to land within the specified 10-minute period after “continuous activation of the low-fuel warnings”, but offer no explanation as to why this happened.
The report of the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) found no evidence of technical malfunction or fire. The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) found no evidence of technical malfunction or fire. Its report states that although the helicopter had enough fuel on board to complete its journey, 73kg of usable fuel in the main tank did not reach the supply tanks because fuel transfer pumps were switched off, again “for unknown reasons”. The pumps could have been switched back on manually from the cockpit.
It also states that the helicopter did have enough fuel on board to complete its journey, but that 73kg of usable fuel in the main tank became unusable as a result of the fuel transfer pumps being switched off, again “for unknown reasons”. The pumps could have been switched back manually by the pilot. The report offers a number of safety recommendations, including that all police and medical helicopters carry flight recorders, a measure that relatives of the victims have been demanding for some time.
The AAIB report was published on Friday, almost two years after a police helicopter returning to its base on the banks of the river Clyde crashed through the roof of the Clutha pub on 29 November 2013.
The report also offers a number of safety recommendations, including that all police and medical helicopters carry flight recorders, a measure relatives of the victims have been calling for for some time. Survivors and relatives of those who died were made aware of the contents of the report in advance and were bound by confidentiality until the official publication. Many could not contain their anger as they left the briefings, claiming the report raised as many questions as it answered.
The AAIB report was officially published on Friday, almost two years after a police helicopter returning to its base on the banks of the river Clyde crashed through the roof of the Clutha pub on 29 November 2013. The Crown Office announced that a fatal accident inquiry (FAI) into the crash would be held “as soon as is possible”. Police Scotland described the AAIB report as a “significant milestone” and said it would feed into its own ongoing investigation and the Crown’s.
Survivors and relatives of those who died were made aware of the contents of the report in advance, but have been bound by confidentiality until the official publication. Many could not contain their anger as they left the briefings, claiming the report raised as many questions as it answered. David Bell, a lawyer with the specialist aviation law firm Irwin Mitchell, who is representing 17 of the relatives and survivors of the crash, said some welcomed a further inquiry but others felt it was unnecessary and was “another chapter keeping the crash very much alive and hurting for them.”
Immediately after publication, the Crown Office announced a fatal accident inquiry (FAI) into the crash would be held “as soon as is possible”. Bell said relatives and survivors remained frustrated. “The AAIB have gone into great detail in this report but in the end they are still left with unknowns and no way to address them,” he said.
Scotland’s first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, who had previously intervened twice to hasten publication of the findings, said she shared the families’ disappointment at the inconclusive report.Scotland’s first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, who had previously intervened twice to hasten publication of the findings, said she shared the families’ disappointment at the inconclusive report.
Sturgeon said: “It is deeply disappointing that after two years of investigation the report does not reach a clearer conclusion – in some respects it seems to raise more questions than it answers. I therefore share the disappointment of the families that it does not provide the closure they sought and hope that the FAI, that the Crown Office has now said will happen as soon as possible, can help the families get the answers they seek.” She said: “It is deeply disappointing that after two years of investigation the report does not reach a clearer conclusion – indeed in some respects it seems to raise more questions than it answers. I therefore share the disappointment of the families that it does not provide the closure they sought and hope that the FAI, that the Crown Office has now said will happen as soon as possible, can help the families get the answers they seek.”
Alan Crossan, owner of the Clutha pub, told the Guardian: “I’m disappointed that it has taken them two years to say they don’t know. It’s no good for the families and injured people, not to get that wee bit of closure.”Alan Crossan, owner of the Clutha pub, told the Guardian: “I’m disappointed that it has taken them two years to say they don’t know. It’s no good for the families and injured people, not to get that wee bit of closure.”
He added that victims should receive full compensation now that the official investigation has ended. He said victims should receive full compensation now that the official investigation has ended.
Commenting on the report, AAIB chief inspector Keith Conradi said: “Our thoughts are with the families of the victims of this tragic accident. The AAIB is independent, tasked with investigating the causes of accidents to prevent recurrence and help make aviation safer. The AAIB chief inspector, Keith Conradi, said: “Our thoughts are with the families of the victims of this tragic accident. The AAIB is independent, tasked with investigating the causes of accidents to prevent recurrence and help make aviation safer.
“We do not apportion blame in our reports. We have made a series of safety recommendations in this final report including that European and British civil aviation regulators require all police and medical helicopters to carry flight recording equipment.”“We do not apportion blame in our reports. We have made a series of safety recommendations in this final report including that European and British civil aviation regulators require all police and medical helicopters to carry flight recording equipment.”
Pete McCarthy, a lecturer at Cranfield Safety and Accident Investigation Centre, and a former military helicopter pilot and air accident investigator, said the pilot may not have linked the fuel warnings to the fact that the pumps were switched off.
“He may have believed the warnings to be spurious because he was looking at his gauges and could see that he still had some fuel. It is possible he was simply not linking the warnings to the fuel pumps being switched off. Without a data recorder it is very hard to know why his actions made sense to him at the time but this would be a possible explanation.
“But of course there are drills. The first thing he should have done was check the pumps and the second thing, if the alarms didn’t stop, was to land within 10 minutes.”
McCarthy said the length of time taken by the AAIB to conclude its report was not unusual. “I can guarantee they did everything they could. One line in a report like this may have taken eight weeks to establish if you are taking engines apart and testing everything.”