Helicopter - v - crane LONDON
 

Just picked up a rumour that a helicopter has crashed into a crane in London, near Vauxhall Bridge


Twitter / craiglet: Helicopter just hit our building ...

Just heard the rumour too. Pretty foggy here in Croydon.

Edit:

BBC News - Helicopter 'crashes into crane' in London

Helicopter 'crashes into crane'
 

BBC News - Helicopter 'crashes into crane' in London

South London construction site.

Not much yet, doesn't look good.

Sky news are reporting that the pilot was the only person on board the helicopter.

Sad News

NBC news

Crashed and burned after clipping a construction crane on top of a 50 story building at Vauxhall. Augusta 109 came down just after 8 am. There are cars burning now, foam being used to put out the fire.

LONDON/CITY EGLC 160820Z 34003KT 0700 R09/0800 R27/0750 FZFG BKN001 M03/M03 Q1012

LONDON/HEATHROW EGLL 160820Z 06004KT 360V090 4000 BR BKN005 M02/M03 Q1012 TEMPO BKN004

LONDON/GATWICK EGKK 160820Z 09004KT 1000 R08R/P1500 HZ BKN003 M03/M04 Q1011

Pretty ghastly out there at 0730Z this morning when I was coming out. Reports suggest an A109, one on board.

Photos from Twitter at

https://twitter.com/vctrjmnz/status/...128960/photo/1

https://twitter.com/nic0/status/2914...366657/photo/1

https://twitter.com/craiglet/status/...153536/photo/1

Geoffers - that's a real sad picture :(

Phil

METAR EGLL 160720Z VRB03KT 4200M BR BKN 005
METAR EGLL 160720Z 05005KT 3600M BR HZ BKN 004

METAR EGLC 160720Z VRB03KT 600 R09/1000 R27/1100 FZFG VV///
METER EGLC 160750Z VRB02KT 700 R09/1500 R27/1500 FZFG BKN 001

I do hope it wasn't making an approach to Battersea...

Sean Maffit - aviation expert- being interviewed. He mentioned that the crane was notamed last week. He talks about freezing fog and says we were lucky it was a turbine as petrol would have been worse.

MP interviewed - did not see the crash and so had nothing to say, but interviewed anyway.

Typical problem of wanting "news" instantly

Restricted Area just been Notam'd. As you say a 770' crane is notam'd for Vauxhall.

Vauxhall
 

Thank you Dr Simon for bringing some sense of proportion to the gibberish the reporters are trying to stir up.

H4 has 1500 ft restriction at that point and runs through the river. Crane top 770ft AGL and just on the South river bank. As a twin not restricted to H4.

Mist may have been a factor in pushing him low.

AAIB announced investigation.

2 confirmed dead. 2 injured.

BBC Report an Augusta 109 has come down after clipping the top of a crane. The MPS say there is no terrorist involvement at this stage.

Various witness comments and phone video clips show a fire on the ground and the crane is reported as being damaged and in a precarious position.

MPS now confirm 2 dead in this crash. 2 more injured, no update on where they came from in terms of crew/pax/ground.

BBC interview
 

Good interview with Gary Slater of Heli-Charter, said all the right things. Well done. BBC now saying 2 PoB

Bloody good interview with Gary. Although 2 dead I believe one of them may have been in the car.

I use LBC for traffic but was astonished to hear Nick Ferrari asking witnesses to report whether any screams or shouting from injured people. Really milking this tragedy with all his might and it sounded appalling. And doing his best to put words into witnesses' mouths.

One helicopter would pilot was asked how long it took to train a rotary pilot and was told 10,000 hours and that he had 4000 hours!!

Reminds me of the time the private jet crashed after take off at Biggen Hill a couple of years ago, it was either the same day or the day after I sat dumfounded as I listened to Jeremy Vine on radio 2 asking an eye witness if he could see peoples faces in the windows of the jet before the crash. Lowest of the low does not come even come close.
I will bet he's on today gearing up to spew his puerile jurno crap.

SKY and the Beeb just babbling on; in love with the sound of their own voices.

FWIW, on Google Earth, there's a large crane visible on the side of the building. Not sure how up to date it is, but looks about 50m. South of the Thames.