Police helicopter pilot ‘consciously’ ignored low fuel warnings before deadly pub crash, inquiry finds

‘I don’t hold any animosity towards him,’ says stepson of victim

Rescuers lift the police helicopter wreckage from the roof of the Clutha pub in 2013 (Getty)

A helicopter crash that killed 10 people could have been prevented if the pilot had not taken a “conscious decision” to ignore warnings about low fuel supply, an inquiry has found.

Captain David Traill was among those who lost their lives when his police helicopter fell through the roof of a Glasgow pub on a busy Friday night in November 2013.

The aircraft’s engine lost power due to “fuel starvation” after the contents of its tank had been depleted, a Fatal Accident Inquiry (FAI) found.

The inquiry concluded Traill “took a chance that the low fuel warnings he received were erroneous”, adding that fuel levels on the indication system “contradicted” the low level warnings.

The pilot trusted the warnings were wrong and did not follow relevant emergency procedures.

Captain Traill had also not made sure the fuel transfer pumps switches were on.

The inquiry said this precaution could have prevented the accident, as well as the installation of systems to alert the pilot when both fuel pumps were turned off.

Sheriff Principal Craig Turnbull, who heard testimonies from victims’ families and witnesses during the inquiry, concluded the pilot made a “conscious decision” to ignore the warnings, which had “fatal consequences for 10 people”.

David McClemont, whose stepfather Joe Cusker, said he was “not surprised” the inquiry concluded the pilot was to blame. “It feels that in the absence of an alternative that was going to be the conclusion,” he said. “I don’t hold any animosity towards him. His family suffered the same as ours.”

Three people in the helicopter and seven people inside Clutha Vaults Bar died when the aircraft crashed into the top floor on 29 November 2013.

More than 100 people were at the pub when the helicopter crashed as it was returning to its base on the banks of the River Clyde.

The FAI inquiry followed a 2015 Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) report.

Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon also called the initial report “deeply disappointing” at the time, saying it appeared “to raise more questions than it answers”.

After the 2015 report, John McGarrigle, who lost his father John in the crash, said he was concerned they would never know why the fuel transfer tanks were switched off.

The new report said: “Regrettably when switching off the second (ie the aft) fuel transfer pump, Captain Traill appears to have overlooked the fact that he had previously switched off the forward fuel transfer pump approximately 11 minutes earlier.”

Mr Turnbull said there is no evidence whatsoever to suggest Captain Traill deliberately caused the helicopter to crash.

The inquiry said there is evidence to suggest he “made a valiant attempt to land” after the engines had flamed out.

Additional reporting by Press Association