Mechanical Failure the Cause of Copter Crash
Jan 2 2004
A HELICOPTER crash in which two Army pilots were killed outside Londonderry last month was caused by mechanical failure, it emerged yesterday.
The Gazelle aircraft came down in a field near City of Derry Rugby Club, in Gransha, on December 22.
The two pilots, 27-yearold Captain Andrew Nicoll, from Grantham in Lincolnshire and Sergeant Simon Bennett, 35, a married father-of-three from Telford in Shropshire, were killed instantly.
The Gazelle had been on a routine flight from Omagh in Co Tyrone, nearly 40 miles from the crash scene, and was destined for Ballykelly Army base.
The initial investigation has been completed but a full report on the crash is not expected until later this year.
It is understood the report has blamed mechanical failure for the crash.
The two soldiers, who were part of 5 Regiment Army Air Corps, will be buried in England later this month.
Eyewitnesses described the aircraft as "spiralling out of control".
Investigators spent several days examining the wreckage at the scene before moving it to England for further examination.
They also looked at air traffic control tapes from nearby City of Derry Airport to try to establish what happened in the moments before the crash.
An Army spokesman said they would not be commenting until the full report has been completed.
The Gazelle's primary role is observation and reconnaissance.
It is also used in a wide variety of supporting roles.
More than 1,000 Gazelles are in service with the armed forces and civil aviation organisations throughout the world.
icnorthernireland.icnetwork.co.uk/news
It was debatable whether to post this, as the vague comments that the information had "emerged yesterday" and that "it is understood" have no source cited.