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[Nickbat]

Its a sad affair and regrettable that innocents have suffered again but it was inevitable that it would happen one day. Years to come will see the skys as full as the roads if history is anything to go by and it will only get worse. The price we pay for technology and progress is somethimes way too high. Just a thought.....

One crash, with just two fatalities (however sad), is a small price to pay when you think of the hundreds of thousands of flights that have been made over London by helicopter - including Air Ambulances which have saved many more than two lives...

[tunnie]

Human error was to blame, often case when technology is said to be issue.

16,000 flights a year go across or in London, by Helicopter. This is the first crash since records began back in the 1970's.

The pilot diverted due to fog, but was not informed about the crane.

Its a damn fine safety record I think, crash occurred due to lack of visibility and lack of communication. 

[Kevin Wood]

Not sure it was a case of not being informed about the crane. The air navigation order would have required the pilot to remain 500 feet clear of any "person, vessel, vehicle or structure" and 1000' clear of any "built up area or organised assembly of people" with the ability to glide clear in the event of engine failure. An exception is made for taking off and landing.

That's assuming decent visibility, too. I'd expect MUCH wider margins to be used in fog!

I would regard London, with the exception of the Thames, as a built up area, so, if he was flying at less than 1000' above the building, he planned to be over the Thames.

Unless the crane extended significantly more than 500 or 1000 feet from the building, depending on your viewpoint, its' presence shouldn't have been material because the pilot wouldn't have been planning to fly that close to the building.

I reckon he was simply flying in very low visibility and wasn't where he intended to be.

A tragic event, and sympathies to those killed and injured. It could have been very much worse, however.

It does make me wonder how wise it is to allow non-emergency aircraft to operate that low over a city in instrument conditions, though.

[Lizzie_Zoom]

The guy who works the crane was late for the first time in years this morning according to a colleague interviewed. Talk about lucky!!!!!!

perhaps he was held up in the traffic jam but yes extremely lucky

He explained on This Morning that he normally is woken by his sons, one who suffers from aspergers, every morning and does not bother with his alarm clock. Yesterday morning his sons failed to wake him, and he was an hour late arriving at the scene just moments after the crash took place.

I always say if your number is up...........but his wasn't and he survived!

[Andy B]

The guy who works the crane was late for the first time in years this morning according to a colleague interviewed. Talk about lucky!!!!!!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-21060021

Time to buy a lottery ticket ....... while they're still only a quid 

[Terbs]

Its a sad affair and regrettable that innocents have suffered again but it was inevitable that it would happen one day. Years to come will see the skys as full as the roads if history is anything to go by and it will only get worse. The price we pay for technology and progress is somethimes way too high. Just a thought.....

One crash, with just two fatalities (however sad), is a small price to pay when you think of the hundreds of thousands of flights that have been made over London by helicopter - including Air Ambulances which have saved many more than two lives...

Don't forget all the airliner flights...
If you are gonna come down, it does not matter how high you were (apart from damage area) I fear London is living on borrowed time.....

[Nickbat]

Its a sad affair and regrettable that innocents have suffered again but it was inevitable that it would happen one day. Years to come will see the skys as full as the roads if history is anything to go by and it will only get worse. The price we pay for technology and progress is somethimes way too high. Just a thought.....

One crash, with just two fatalities (however sad), is a small price to pay when you think of the hundreds of thousands of flights that have been made over London by helicopter - including Air Ambulances which have saved many more than two lives...

Don't forget all the airliner flights...
If you are gonna come down, it does not matter how high you were (apart from damage area) I fear London is living on borrowed time.....

Same as many other cities round world, besides which it's highly unusual for aircraft to contact terrain that far out from an airport. Nearer to Heathrow is a different matter, but given the Nav aids at such an airport, even that scenario is not likely. There again, sh*t happens.

[Kevin Wood]

The levels of risk associated with operating airliners into a Cat III ILS equipped international airport in the suburbs must be tiny compared with helicopters buzzing around a city centre at a couple of hundred feet in fog. The former will get you anywhere in the world. The latter gets you through the last few miles of your journey. Public transport can do that job just as well (but without the prestige) and with much reduced risk, especially in marginal weather.

This assumes the helicopter's role was transport, of course. It may not have been.

[Marks DTM Calib]

I note the pilot used to fly the Leicestershire air ambulance so pretty experienced

[Lizzie_Zoom]

The levels of risk associated with operating airliners into a Cat III ILS equipped international airport in the suburbs must be tiny compared with helicopters buzzing around a city centre at a couple of hundred feet in fog. The former will get you anywhere in the world. The latter gets you through the last few miles of your journey. Public transport can do that job just as well (but without the prestige) and with much reduced risk, especially in marginal weather.

This assumes the helicopter's role was transport, of course. It may not have been.

I understand Kevin he did not intend to go into London and was going to Elstree (the film studio?), but because of the weather asked to divert and ended up flying over London.

[henryd]

I note the pilot used to fly the Leicestershire air ambulance so pretty experienced

Did some flying in the Bond films too.

[Kate]

I was just driving along where this happened the day before.

It's so sad.