Not sure if the correspondence on the Hughes 300C manslaughter case is still open, but I have just been directed to the site.
It is sad but understandable that there appears to be so little accurate information out there on this case. As the parent of the pilot, I have taken it upon myself to know every fact.
Yes a top lawyer represented the engineer and he didn't 'get him off' He accurately laid out the difficulties all engineers faced over this cracking proble, Even the CAA;'s own surveyor failed to detect the welded repair as he signed off the Certicate of Airworthiness four months before the accident. I believe the jury said to themselves. If the safety regulatory authority's own engineer made a mistake, why are we trying this engineer for manslaughter?
My son's accident was the eighth, yes the eighth failure of the centre frame, aft left hand cluster. You might think a more responsible regulatory authority would have mandated the fitment of the later redesignerd cluster after the firstt occurence. They still have not done that even now, so fellow 300C pilots, there are perhaps 400 helicopters out there wthat may have the same defect. The AD's, SB's and LTO's are already there to guide engineers, but in one case in England the crack could not be detected with paint on or WITH PAINT OFF!!
The airframe broke in two allowing the M/R blades to disentegrate the ship in flight, so please make 100% checks on this suspect component on your future flying of the type.
Two more factors. Had the CAA's own inspector been made aware of the previous history of the type, he may well have conducted a more specialist inspection, lives would not have been lost. Had the welder been required to inspect a conformity, lives would not have been lost. Had I been made aware of the type's history, I would have required fitment of the later 'dash three' cluster or not purchased the model at all.
Unfortunately these sad facts go on and on.
I believe what has happened is an object lesson in lack of information and over reliance on the CAA strategy of repetitive inspections. They did not work and I won't fly the pre dash three type until the authorities mandate the obvious modification.
I also believe the engineer was only some 20-30% responsible. You judge where the balance of the blame lies. The AAIB report should be out in the next few weeks.
Thanks for all your interest. Dennis Kenyon Snr.