14 DAY TRIAL // A helicopter crash killed 2 and left 9 injured in London last week. As reported, bad weather caused the pilot to fly lower and lower, eventually hitting a crane on top of a building.
The chopper crashed in Vauxhall, in a busy area of the capital city of England, at a time when commuter traffic was high. He collided with the crane on the Tower building, at St. George Wharf in central London.
News has surfaced that the pilot, 50-year-old Peter Barnes, had a lot of experience in the area, and had been warned about possible bad weather.
His previous work included appearing in the Saving Private Ryan and Tomb Raider II films. He suffered “multiple injuries” and has been killed in the crash, Metro details.
A report by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) has been issued today, and it shows that the client did not want Barnes to take off. Heavy fog had been registered in the area at the time.
“At 0718hrs, the client called the pilot to discuss the weather. [...] The pilot said he thought the weather might clear earlier than forecast. The client said he would drive to Elstree and call the pilot to keep him advised,” the document details.
“At 0731hrs, having noticed how poor the weather was during his journey, the client called the pilot to suggest that he did not take off until he (the client) had reached Elstree and observed the weather.
“The pilot replied that he was already starting the engines. The client stated that he repeated his suggestion that the pilot should not take off,” it reads.
“I’m coming anyway will land in a field if I have to,” he responded via text message.
He had also been advised by a second pilot to remain on the ground. Barnes planned to land at London Heliport in Battersea. He had requested permission for landing just 7 seconds before the collision.