Gloucestershire Online report
COUPLE KILLED IN HELICOPTER CRASH
A County couple died when a helicopter they were travelling in plunged into the sea off southern France.
Gerald Finch, 67, and Angela Smith, 63, from Chipping Campden, were travelling to Mr Finch's retirement party in Monaco when mechanical failure forced the aircraft to ditch. The pair were among five to die in the crash around midday yesterday.
They had been travelling from Nice to the party for Mr Finch, a retired printing and packaging expert.
His brother John, 68, of East Anglia, today described the family's shock at their loss.
He said: "We are all in a bit of a mess right now. It hasn't quite hit us yet what has happened."
The helicopter crashed into the sea one mile south of the exclusive resort of Saint-Jean-Cap- Ferrat two minutes into the six-minute, 11-mile flight.
As far as I know, the name of the pilot has not yet been released.