This machine was taken off the american registar as N49560 on 13/2/1991 and it's 1st registartion in the UK was on 05/02/2001 was it being rebuilt for the missing 10 years and if so how do you spot this once the arthur Daley sticker is removed?

Hoverman.

Nice one my friend. Using the death of two people and the destruction of a helicopter to have another pop at Heli-Jet.
You are some piece of work.

Rotorboater -

The original G-BTFY was de-registered when it went to Africa, hence the date of reg being 2001. More a re-reg really. Though why they used the same reg is anybody's guess.

This information, passed to me by a reliable source since my last post, may explain the G-BTFY registration aspect:

The helicopter which crashed was built using components from G-BTFY and G-JWLS which was damaged in a well-publicised taxying accident at Duxford. JWLS was struck by the Carolyn Grace two-seat Spitfire ML 407.
The completed helicopter, which used the G-BTFY shell, was registered as G-BTFY.

I won't repeat here what I've been told was apparently seen by eye-witnesses to the accident. I say only that nothing I've posted above should lead anyone to jump to the conclusion that mechanical failure played any part in this tragic accident.
The AAIB will no doubt carry out their investigation in the exemplary way they carry out all investigations in my experience, and we'll then have the explanation.

My condolences to the family and friends of the two men who died.

Tudor Owen

The accident report relating to this accident has been released, and is on the AAIB web site.