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| Snowdonia helicopter crash recovery continues | Snowdonia helicopter crash recovery continues |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Recovery of the bodies of five family members killed in a helicopter crash in north Wales continues on Friday. | Recovery of the bodies of five family members killed in a helicopter crash in north Wales continues on Friday. |
| Poor weather and the remote and "challenging" terrain at the Rhinog Mountains in Snowdonia have hampered recovery efforts, police have said. | Poor weather and the remote and "challenging" terrain at the Rhinog Mountains in Snowdonia have hampered recovery efforts, police have said. |
| Two of those on board have been named locally as Kevin and Ruth Burke from Hulcote, near Milton Keynes, who were travelling to a christening in Dublin. | Two of those on board have been named locally as Kevin and Ruth Burke from Hulcote, near Milton Keynes, who were travelling to a christening in Dublin. |
| A search began on Wednesday when the aircraft vanished over Caernarfon Bay. | A search began on Wednesday when the aircraft vanished over Caernarfon Bay. |
| The crash site is a two-hour walk and "scramble" from the nearest road so the recovery process is "expected to take some time", according to a North Wales Police spokesman. | The crash site is a two-hour walk and "scramble" from the nearest road so the recovery process is "expected to take some time", according to a North Wales Police spokesman. |
| In all, 80 personnel are involved in the recovery work, including forensics police officers, air accident investigators and mountain rescue volunteers. | In all, 80 personnel are involved in the recovery work, including forensics police officers, air accident investigators and mountain rescue volunteers. |
| Experts from the Air Accidents Investigation Branch are on site and it is understood the recovery of the aircraft could take about three days. | Experts from the Air Accidents Investigation Branch are on site and it is understood the recovery of the aircraft could take about three days. |
| The wreckage will then be transferred to its base at Farnborough where the investigation will continue. | The wreckage will then be transferred to its base at Farnborough where the investigation will continue. |
| The Twin Squirrel helicopter was registered to Kevin and Ruth Burke, who are believed to have been directors of the Milton Keynes-based Staske Construction company. | The Twin Squirrel helicopter was registered to Kevin and Ruth Burke, who are believed to have been directors of the Milton Keynes-based Staske Construction company. |
| They were travelling to Dublin, where Mrs Burke was born, with three other adult family members. | They were travelling to Dublin, where Mrs Burke was born, with three other adult family members. |
| It is believed Mr Burke was originally from Manchester and was a qualified pilot. | It is believed Mr Burke was originally from Manchester and was a qualified pilot. |
| The helicopter had left a private airfield in the Luton area before losing radar contact at about 16:00 BST on Wednesday and crashing in the Rhinog Mountains between Harlech and Trawsfynydd in Gwynedd. | The helicopter had left a private airfield in the Luton area before losing radar contact at about 16:00 BST on Wednesday and crashing in the Rhinog Mountains between Harlech and Trawsfynydd in Gwynedd. |
| A mountain rescue team found the wreckage. | A mountain rescue team found the wreckage. |
| The family of those killed are being supported by police. | The family of those killed are being supported by police. |
| All five adults are "part of the same extended family from the Milton Keynes area", according to police. | All five adults are "part of the same extended family from the Milton Keynes area", according to police. |
| Formal identification has not yet taken place and north west Wales coroner Dewi Pritchard-Jones has opened an investigation. | Formal identification has not yet taken place and north west Wales coroner Dewi Pritchard-Jones has opened an investigation. |
| Police have not revealed the exact location of the crash although they have asked the public to stay away to allow recovery work to continue. | Police have not revealed the exact location of the crash although they have asked the public to stay away to allow recovery work to continue. |
| They have appealed for anyone in the Trawsfynydd area between noon and 13:00 BST on Wednesday who may have heard or seen the helicopter to contact them. | |
| Ch Insp Richard Green said the crash site was "precarious" on a steep slope at about 700m (2,297ft) above sea level. | |
| He said the weather was making the task of getting personnel and equipment to the site "very difficult and potentially dangerous". | He said the weather was making the task of getting personnel and equipment to the site "very difficult and potentially dangerous". |
| "Both police and mountain rescue teams are utterly determined and focused in recovering all those lost as quickly and as sensitively as possible so they can be reunited with their families," he said. | "Both police and mountain rescue teams are utterly determined and focused in recovering all those lost as quickly and as sensitively as possible so they can be reunited with their families," he said. |
| "This process, even in perfect conditions, is still delicate and methodical as we search for any evidence that could help explain the cause of the crash." | "This process, even in perfect conditions, is still delicate and methodical as we search for any evidence that could help explain the cause of the crash." |