Nige321
9th Aug 2015, 13:27
Hotel owner fined for helicopter 'incident' (http://www.torquayheraldexpress.co.uk/Torquay-Grand-Hotel-owner-fined-3-000-helicopter/story-27564600-detail/story.html)
Torquay Grand Hotel owner fined £3,000 for helicopter accident
By HEPaulGreaves | Posted: August 07, 2015
Torquay Grand Hotel owner fined £3,000 for helicopter accident
Keith Richardson at Grand Hotel
TORBAY millionaire hotel owner Keith Richardson has been fined £3,000 after his helicopter caused a parasol to take off and strike a teenage guest.
Mr Richardson, 76, who owns the Grand Hotel on Torquay seafront, was piloting the four-seater helicopter taking off from one of his five hotels when the incident happened in August, a court heard on Friday.
Guests were sitting on a terraced area watching the red Robinson R44 take off from the lawned area nearby at the Falmouth Hotel on Castle Beach in Falmouth when the downwash hurled debris around.
Civil Aviation Authority prosecutor Alison Slater told Bodmin magistrates court that the Holubowicz family were on a bench with their 16-year-old daughter watching the chopper with a parasol in the lowered position.
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The court heard two members of staff wearing yellow tabards were acting as marshals to keep people from going near the lawn take off site.
She said: "The helicopter engine started. The downwash was quite intense. Witnesses say papers and articles were being blown around."
She said some people were 'showered with gravel' by the downwash.
"What happened was that the parasol next to the Holubowicz family became inflated by the downwash."
The parasol took off and 'fell on to the victim Miss Holubowicz' while a member of staff stopped a second parasol from flying away.
A paramedic was called and the teenager was treated for her wounds although there was 'no sign of injuries'.
She was treated by medics for neck and shoulder injuries which restricted her movement and given anti-inflammatory tablets.
CAA Captain Fred Cross carried out an investigation and said Richardson, of Newton Abbot — full name Eric Keith Richardson — should have been aware of 'potential hazards'.
Miss Slater said as far as downwash was concerned 'pilots are taught about it on day one at pilot training school'.
Capt Cross said the safer option is to delay take off if people are in the area until it is cleared.
Richardson said he had been landing at his hotel for seven years and used two staff as marshals when taking off and landing.
The hotelier said guests and passers by were fascinated by helicopters taking off and landing and he had not had a problem with flying debris before.
"In 20 years flying I have no problem with flying debris."
He said he had contacted the victim's family to apologise for the distress caused and to offer recompense but had had no response saying: "He totally ignored me."
Richardson, who represented himself in court, said he thought some of the eye witness accounts had been exaggerated.
He showed the JPs two short videos of his helicopter landing at the site after the event saying: "The bushes rattle near the palm tree. The parasol flaps in the breeze."
He said he was 'an amateur pilot' but felt he was being treated like 'a bad boy' despite his 'upstanding career'.
He showed the court his flying log book with 200 movements.
Richardson said people can stand '10-100-200 feet away from a helicopter which is moving' and said the family had been 70 feet away at the time.
He said he spent eight minutes checking his chopper before taking off which would have been obvious to people watching on.
"I have never had a problem with my landings at any of my hotels," he said. "People stop and watch what is going on."
He said:"I have to rely on my staff."
He said his hotels, which also includes the Grosvenor in Torquay, have served between 500,000 and one million meals and he has never had a case of food poisoning because he delegates and trusts his staff.
"I have good diligent staff if something went wrong," and said a gust of wind could have caused the parasol to lift an fly off.
Miss Slater said helicopter movements were 'sight dependent and someone can be safe at 30 feet and at risk at 100 feet mainly depending on where it is'.
The hotelier admitted a charge of negligently causing an aircraft to endanger a person but said: "I am not a bad boy and do pay attention to my helicopter and my movements'.
He had a previous conviction in 2013 for operating a helicopter from another of his hotels in Padstow, Cornwall, without insurance for which he was fined £3,340.
Bodmin court chairman Andrew Harris, who said he had experience of helicopters while working at Yeovilton in Somerset, said the civil courts will have to rule on compensation for the teenager.
He said: "The pilot has overall responsibility for his aircraft and the safety of people around the aircraft."
He was fined £3,000 plus costs of £1,104 and £120 victim surcharge – a total of £4,224.
Outside court Richardson said: "I am a little person, I cannot take on the law and the CAA."
Torquay Grand Hotel owner fined £3,000 for helicopter accident
By HEPaulGreaves | Posted: August 07, 2015
Torquay Grand Hotel owner fined £3,000 for helicopter accident
Keith Richardson at Grand Hotel
TORBAY millionaire hotel owner Keith Richardson has been fined £3,000 after his helicopter caused a parasol to take off and strike a teenage guest.
Mr Richardson, 76, who owns the Grand Hotel on Torquay seafront, was piloting the four-seater helicopter taking off from one of his five hotels when the incident happened in August, a court heard on Friday.
Guests were sitting on a terraced area watching the red Robinson R44 take off from the lawned area nearby at the Falmouth Hotel on Castle Beach in Falmouth when the downwash hurled debris around.
Civil Aviation Authority prosecutor Alison Slater told Bodmin magistrates court that the Holubowicz family were on a bench with their 16-year-old daughter watching the chopper with a parasol in the lowered position.
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The court heard two members of staff wearing yellow tabards were acting as marshals to keep people from going near the lawn take off site.
She said: "The helicopter engine started. The downwash was quite intense. Witnesses say papers and articles were being blown around."
She said some people were 'showered with gravel' by the downwash.
"What happened was that the parasol next to the Holubowicz family became inflated by the downwash."
The parasol took off and 'fell on to the victim Miss Holubowicz' while a member of staff stopped a second parasol from flying away.
A paramedic was called and the teenager was treated for her wounds although there was 'no sign of injuries'.
She was treated by medics for neck and shoulder injuries which restricted her movement and given anti-inflammatory tablets.
CAA Captain Fred Cross carried out an investigation and said Richardson, of Newton Abbot — full name Eric Keith Richardson — should have been aware of 'potential hazards'.
Miss Slater said as far as downwash was concerned 'pilots are taught about it on day one at pilot training school'.
Capt Cross said the safer option is to delay take off if people are in the area until it is cleared.
Richardson said he had been landing at his hotel for seven years and used two staff as marshals when taking off and landing.
The hotelier said guests and passers by were fascinated by helicopters taking off and landing and he had not had a problem with flying debris before.
"In 20 years flying I have no problem with flying debris."
He said he had contacted the victim's family to apologise for the distress caused and to offer recompense but had had no response saying: "He totally ignored me."
Richardson, who represented himself in court, said he thought some of the eye witness accounts had been exaggerated.
He showed the JPs two short videos of his helicopter landing at the site after the event saying: "The bushes rattle near the palm tree. The parasol flaps in the breeze."
He said he was 'an amateur pilot' but felt he was being treated like 'a bad boy' despite his 'upstanding career'.
He showed the court his flying log book with 200 movements.
Richardson said people can stand '10-100-200 feet away from a helicopter which is moving' and said the family had been 70 feet away at the time.
He said he spent eight minutes checking his chopper before taking off which would have been obvious to people watching on.
"I have never had a problem with my landings at any of my hotels," he said. "People stop and watch what is going on."
He said:"I have to rely on my staff."
He said his hotels, which also includes the Grosvenor in Torquay, have served between 500,000 and one million meals and he has never had a case of food poisoning because he delegates and trusts his staff.
"I have good diligent staff if something went wrong," and said a gust of wind could have caused the parasol to lift an fly off.
Miss Slater said helicopter movements were 'sight dependent and someone can be safe at 30 feet and at risk at 100 feet mainly depending on where it is'.
The hotelier admitted a charge of negligently causing an aircraft to endanger a person but said: "I am not a bad boy and do pay attention to my helicopter and my movements'.
He had a previous conviction in 2013 for operating a helicopter from another of his hotels in Padstow, Cornwall, without insurance for which he was fined £3,340.
Bodmin court chairman Andrew Harris, who said he had experience of helicopters while working at Yeovilton in Somerset, said the civil courts will have to rule on compensation for the teenager.
He said: "The pilot has overall responsibility for his aircraft and the safety of people around the aircraft."
He was fined £3,000 plus costs of £1,104 and £120 victim surcharge – a total of £4,224.
Outside court Richardson said: "I am a little person, I cannot take on the law and the CAA."