Askwith man's inexperience led to helicopter crash (From Wharfedale Observer)

Askwith man's inexperience led to helicopter crash

5:00pm Thursday 4th September 2008

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AN Askwith man died because he and his co-pilot were too inexperienced to cope with the bad weather that caused their helicopter to crash, killing four people, an inquest heard.

Construction firm boss Anderson Andy' Patrick, 37, and Tim Newburn, 39, were at the controls of the Robinson R44 helicopter which hit hilly ground near Kendal, Cumbria, only eight minutes after setting off in relatively calm weather in August last year.

Mr Newburn, of Bailiff Bridge, Brighouse, and Mr Patrick died alongside Mr Patrick's father, Peter, 68, of Carnforth, Lancashire, and Mr Newburn's close friend, Gary Priestley, 39, of Hipperholme, near Brighouse.

All four died of multiple injuries.

A jury at the inquest in Kendal this week heard that the helicopter was circling around a quarter-of-a-mile from junction 36 of the M6 motorway seconds before impact as it attempted to fly out of low cloud.

Air accident investigator Tony Severs told the hearing the instrument-free craft was not equipped to fly in cloud and the pilots were not experienced enough to handle such poor weather.

The helicopter was also flying at a "totally inappropriate" speed of about 120mph shortly before the crash, he said.

In directing the jury to return accidental death verdicts, South Cumbria Coroner Ian Smith said: "My view is the pilots were flying beyond their capabilities because of the conditions. This helicopter could not negotiate foul weather.

"The two pilots were fully qualified and had kept up their flying hours but they got into a situation which they did not really know how to handle."

The jury agreed.

The helicopter had been operated by Multiflight at Leeds Bradford Airport from where it had taken off to fly to Carnforth with Andy Patrick at the controls.

It landed to pick up Peter Patrick en route to Lochmaben, near Lockerbie, for a pheasant shoot.

Mr Newburn then sat in the pilot's seat after they picked up Mr Patrick Snr as family members took photographs of the aircraft leaving at 7.28pm.

Disaster struck eight minutes later, Mr Smith told the hearing in Kendal.

The weather conditions were suitable for take-off, but there was heavy rain and thick cloud ahead around the higher ground of the Lake District.

Neither of the pilots was able to gauge an accurate forecast for the region as Carlisle Airport was closed, but they had checked the conditions at Leeds-Bradford and Blackpool airports.

Mr Severs said the aircraft was orbiting in a figure of eight before the crash. In his opinion, it was trying to land.

He said he thought the occupants may have been trying to head south towards the motorway and were assessing the situation.

Radar records showed the helicopter had been travelling at a speed of around 120mph at one point which Mr Severs said was too fast to slow down comfortably in the conditions.

The Robinson R44 hit the rising ground, crashed through a fence and broke up across a field. The wreckage was found the following morning.

Both Mr Patrick Jnr and Mr Newburn had completed up to 100 hours in flying time, but were relatively inexperienced.

Father-of-one Mr Newburn ran the TM Newburn Group generator company. The Patricks ran Termrim Construction in Huddersfield.

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