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Crew of fateful helicopter which crashed into the sea would have failed a training exam, says aviation expert


By Staff Reporter

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Gary McCrossan
Gary McCrossan

The crew of a helicopter which crashed into the sea would failed a training exam with the same manner of flying, an inquiry has heard.

Aviation consultant Mark Prior was speaking at the fatal accident inquiry into the 2013 Super Puma crash off Shetland which killed four passengers including Inverness man Gary McCrossan.

Mr Prior, who was speaking on the 10th day of the inquiry, was asked what what would have happened if the manner of their approach had been replicated in examination tests.

"They would certainly have failed the test," replied Mr Prior, who himself has flown the approach into Sumburgh.

"They would perhaps have been put through some more training and a second test before they were allowed to go back to full flying."

He said the crew did not comply with the operations manual, and the approach did not meet a standard of reasonable care.

"They did not achieve a stable approach, and that then left them more prone to any errors in scanning (instruments)," he said.

"In my opinion, the crew were not scanning the air speed and indeed the other instruments for a period of time."

The helicopter would not have crashed if the pilot had stabilised the speed at 80 knots on approach to the airport, he said.

He believed the crash would not have happened if any link in the complete chain of events that day had been broken.

A total of 18 people were on board the helicopter.

Father-of-two Gary McCrossan (59), of Westhill, died from heart failure.

Sarah Darnley (45), of Elgin, Duncan Munro (46), of Bishop Auckland, and George Allison (57), of Winchester, died from drowning.

A survivor, Samuel Bull later took his own life after suffering post-traumatic stress disorder.

The inquiry, before Derek Pyle, Sheriff Principal of Grampian, Highland and Islands, continues.

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