Pilot who flew helicopter prior to fatal Clutha crash to be represented at FAI

The pilot who flew the helicopter and handed it over to Captain David Traill on the day it crashed in to the Clutha pub will be represented at the fatal accident inquiry.

A hearing took place at Glasgow Sheriff Court to allow anyone with an interest to apply to participate, who had not already given notice by the Procurator Fiscal.

Ten people died and 31 others were injured when a police helicopter crashed into the roof of the Glasgow pub on 29 November 2013.

The helicopter crew who were killed in the crash were pilot David Traill, PC Tony Collins and PC Kirsty Nelis.

Seven customers in the Clutha pub also died. They were John McGarrigle, Mark O'Prey, Gary Arthur, Colin Gibson, Robert Jenkins, Samuel McGhee and Joe Cusker

Advocate Jennifer Bain, who represented David Young at the hearing yesterday, made submissions why he should be a part of the inquiry, including that was the day shift pilot of the helicopter on the day of the crash.

She said Mr Young handed the aircraft over to Captain Traill on the day of the incident and that he interrupted an engineer carrying out a compressor wash, during a pre-flight inspection, to respond to a missing person report.

Sheriff Principal Craig Turnbull granted the application for Mr Young to participate.

He also granted the application made on behalf of Ian O’Prey, the father of Mark O’Prey.

Miss Bain said Mr Young was the day shift pilot on the helicopter on November 29, 2013.

She said: “He personally handed over the aircraft to the deceased pilot David Traill.”

She also said he was a flight safety officer between May 2013 and January or February 2016.

The court heard there was a pre-flight inspection check carried out on the morning of November 29 that she understood “would not have been carried out again prior to Mr Traill piloting the aircraft”.

Miss Bain also said part of the checks includes a pre-flight compressor wash which is carried out every 50 hours of flight, but was not completed that morning.

She said an engineer had started the compressor wash but Mr Young told them they had a job do so the aircraft was put back together and they left to carry out the search.

Sheriff Principal Turnbull refused the application made by Captain Traill’s half sister Evelyn Mitchell.

The hearing was told they had been in contact but hadn’t met each other in more than 20 years.

The inquiry will formally begin at Hampden Park on 8 April 2019. The first preliminary hearing will be held at the stadium on 3 October this year.

The Crown Office previously said there would be no criminal proceedings