Damage to helicopters by airport staff

[helicopter-redeye]

Do any UK based helicopter (or aircraft) operators/ owners have experience of airport staff causing damage to aircraft, and the legal implications of this?

Our base airport caused damage to a rotorcraft (careless handling, admitted by staff at the time) and have subsequently refused to pay for the damage repairs etc from their insurance.

Basically, the airport now contend that if they damage any aircraft landing or parked there, the they shall have no responsibility whatsoever.

This is a GA airfield with no scheduled flights, but an agressive property developer owner.

Any known precedent (UK only, as this is a "law thing") for airfields accepting resposnibility for their actions?

[Vfrpilotpb]

Hey Redeye,


Pass the name to me, I'll send big Jimmy round, we only charge very little, perhaps a flight, a couple of steaks and a bottle or three. But liability is not accepted for any spilt liquids,

Know wot I mean!

[helicopter-redeye]

None serious comment from the wrong side of the Pennines.

Any experience of damage at Blackpool, Barton or Liverpool?

[helicopter-redeye]

For anybody interested in an update on this, the loss adjusters have just recommended payment of the claim but the airport have decided to reject their lawyers and professional advisors advice.

Anybody come across this before in the UK?

[helicopter-redeye]

Thanks, Martin Robinson of AOPA gave similiar advice. The costs will exceed the claim.

He also noted the point about insurance. If no damage was ever to be done and contracturally no blame could ever be attributed then no airport/ airfield would ever need to waste money on insurance.

I've kept the damaged tail stabiliser (quite large on an R44) for "lateral insertion" should the need arise ...

[Robbo Jock]

The costs will exceed the claim

That's exactly what they rely on. If it costs (say) 5K to claim 2K, and you win their insurance pays 7K; if you lose, you personally have stumped up the 5K claim and still have to lay out the 2K repair bill.

Bs.

[helicopter-redeye]

What basis would they have for victory?

Staff admitted the damage at the time (good).

Airfield procedures only allow authorised staff to push out helicopters and aeroplanes.

The aircraft was not parked in the hangar space that was sold to the operator but another, unsuitable, building and as a result damage was caused.

Interested to hear of cases where UK airports/ fields have won in these circumstances (and lost) as it builds up the case one way or the other to act.

[helicopter-redeye]

Thanks also to one or two "private" replies on this matter that have come through the PruneNet.


Watch out €h&8$8ld City Airport!!

[Bravo 99 (AJB)]

On the helicopter side at Blackpool our own engineers move our A/Cs about helicentre, site there R22m in the middle of the field by the tower most of the time they handle the other 22 out of the hangar so little course for pos damage there not clear what happens at the bottom end of the site with the other guys though although there is a bit of a squize at that end due to planks.

Sincerely

Bravo 99 (AJB)