RTÉ News: Pilot charged for taking helicopter shopping
Pilot charged for taking helicopter shopping
Tuesday, 7 October 2008 17:00
A man who landed his helicopter on the roof of a multi-storey car park next to a shopping centre in Athlone intends to 'fully defend' his actions.
Sean O'Brien, 49, from The Island in Ballycumber Co Offaly, landed on the roof of Parkrite Texas Centre in St Mary's Place in order to collect newly cut keys for his helicopter.
The pilot, who was accompanied by his brother in the single-engine Hughes 369HS helicopter, appeared before a sitting of Athlone District Court today.
The Irish Aviation Authority summonsed Mr O'Brien for operating a helicopter in a 'negligent or reckless manner so as to endanger life or property in a manner that was hazardous to person and property'.
The IAA completed an Air Accident Investigation Report earlier this year which found that the pilot showed 'poor airmanship'. It stated that Mr O'Brien had been getting keys cut for the door of his helicopter at the Texas Department Store.
'He landed on the roof of the adjacent multi-storey car park. It is unclear to the investigation where the helicopter could have been safely force-landed in the event of an engine failure during landing or take-off.
'It is also probable that the approach was made over the unstressed roof of the shopping centre due to the location of the church to the north of the landing site,' the report added.
Air Accident Investigator Paddy Judge said the shopping centre, which was open for business at the time, should have been 'completely avoided' for 'obvious safety reasons'.
The report also stated that a car park attendant said that he attempted to wave the helicopter away as it approached for landing.
The attendant took refuge behind a door but was injured by the helicopter's main rotor downwash as the helicopter continued to land.
Previous landing
'He stated that the helicopter had landed on the roof some months previously and his supervisor told him afterwards that this was not allowed. That was why he had tried to wave it away.'
However, the pilot claimed the car park attendant was not on the roof while he was landing and only approached the helicopter on engine shutdown.
The duty manager of the Texas Department Store, a shop unit within the Texas centre, stated that he had given the pilot permission to land but was unaware at the time that he did not have the authority to do so.
'The person, whom he had obtained permission from, did not have the authority to issue it as he neither controlled nor owned the car park. This resulted in the pilot, inadvertently, not having permission to land,' added the report.
Mr O'Brien had been issued a US licence in March 2007, just four months before the incident.
Judge William Earley adjourned the case to a sitting of Athlone District Court on 24 November.
So the IAA are taking action..... I stand corrected.