I am a frequent visitor to the site, but infrequent poster. My youngest son wants to be a pilot and is mid-application to join the navy to train as a helicopter pilot and I usually read the wannabe section and military threads. I spotted this thread and have read it with considerable interest as my middle son is the editor of the Scottish Sun who witnessed the fall of the helicopter on Friday night from the top floor of the multistorey car park, about 250metres West from the crash site. Despite his journalistic background and being a hardened hack, he has been severely traumatised by what he saw. Gordon's reports have been well published on all of the TV channels and newspapers but I think it is fair to say that he believes that the helicopter was out of control. He was on the phone to a colleague in London and was about to get his the car to drive home when he became aware of a loud noise above him - when Gordon is on the phone, like many young people, it is difficult to distract him so the noise must have been considerable. He describes the night as being crystal clear and was aware of the helicopter starting its fall. He initially thought the helicopter was falling towards him and dived behind the car but continued to watch the helicopter fall. He describes the helicopter tumbling - not sure if this is what you are describing as autorotating - but he does not think that this was controlled. The helicopter, as we know, did not hit the car park but landed 250m away on the other side of a block of flats and the Holiday Inn Express and he did not see the impact. He was able to see the police signs on the helicopter as it came down and stated that he was 80% certain that it was the police helicopter that had been involved long before it was officially announced. He is also clear that the helicopter was eerily quiet, that the rotors did not seem to be rotating and was amazed that there was no explosion. He struggled to get his car out of the car park and by the time he got to the site on foot, which is not far away, the emergency services were already arriving and blocking off the scene. He ran round the corner into Argyll Street to get back to his office in Queen Street. He spoke to a policeman in Argyll Street who was totally unaware of the helicopter coming down and initially did not believe him until he called into control.
I appreciate that Gordon is no expert but he is clear that the helicopter could not have landed gently on the roof of the pub, or that the pilot was trying to find a safe landing place. He has been interviewed by the authorities and told that in due course will be required to give evidence at any subsequent Fatal Accident Inquiry.
I hope that this helps and that the reason for the crash is ascertained sooner rather than later.