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| Clutha pub helicopter crash inquiry begins with minute's silence | Clutha pub helicopter crash inquiry begins with minute's silence |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| A fatal accident inquiry into The Clutha helicopter crash has begun with a minute's silence. It followed sheriff principal Craig Turnbull's opening remarks. | |
| The names of the 10 people who died when a police helicopter crashed into the Glasgow bar's roof on 29 November 2013 were read out before the inquiry opened. Another 31 people were injured. | |
| "Moving" personal statements about some of the victims were then read aloud. | |
| The inquiry then heard from witnesses. | |
| The FAI heard tributes to Samuel McGhee, 56; Gary Arthur, 48; Robert Jenkins, 61; Colin Gibson, 33; John McGarrigle, 57; and Mark O'Prey, 44. | |
| No statement was provided by the relatives of Joe Cusker, 59. | |
| There were no statements on behalf of pilot David Traill, 51, and crew Tony Collins, 43, and Kirsty Nelis, 36. | |
| 'Wrong place at the wrong time' | 'Wrong place at the wrong time' |
| The first victim statement read out, on behalf Mr McGhee's daughter Kerry, heard he was born and bred in Castlemilk. The bus driver had to take early retirement to care for his partner, who died of cancer in 2007. | |
| "He was a good friend, neighbour and a sad loss to our close-knit community", she wrote. | |
| Colin Gibson was celebrating a friend's birthday on the night of the tragedy. He had never been in the bar before. | |
| In a statement, his family said: "We will never know what he would have went on to achieve... He just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time." | |
| Mark O'Prey's father, Ian, said his "wonderful son" had "many virtues" and "loved life and lived it to the full". | |
| He thanked the hearing for the minute's silence, but said after "five and a half years of silence from the Crown Office" the gesture was "of no consequence" to him. | |
| He added that he hopes the FAI "arrives at some truth". | |
| Speaking ahead of the inquiry, Mr O'Prey told BBC Scotland: "If we get the truth I will settle for the truth but I am not expecting any miracles." | |
| Mr O'Prey described his son, who was a judo black belt, as a "jolly green giant". | Mr O'Prey described his son, who was a judo black belt, as a "jolly green giant". |
| He added: "The whole family used to come down to The Clutha for the music nights. | |
| "In fact on the day my son came down here he said 'Why don't you come down, Dad?' and that was the last I seen him, that Friday afternoon. | "In fact on the day my son came down here he said 'Why don't you come down, Dad?' and that was the last I seen him, that Friday afternoon. |
| "I was the last person in the family to speak to him." | "I was the last person in the family to speak to him." |
| Mary Kavanagh's partner, 61-year-old Robert Jenkins, was the oldest to die. | |
| Donald Findlay QC read out a statement on behalf of Ms Kavanagh, which said the father-of-two had many friends and was a keen football fan who would have loved to work at the Scottish Football Museum, based at Hampden Park. | |
| He said: "Mary finds it very ironic that the FAI is taking place at a venue that Robert held in such high esteem." | He said: "Mary finds it very ironic that the FAI is taking place at a venue that Robert held in such high esteem." |
| The couple were in The Clutha on the night of the disaster. She last saw Mr Jenkins as he went to the bar to buy her a cranberry juice. | The couple were in The Clutha on the night of the disaster. She last saw Mr Jenkins as he went to the bar to buy her a cranberry juice. |
| 'Robbed of so much' | |
| She recalled ahead of the inquiry: "He had only been gone a few minutes when there was a loud thud and it was as if the whole roof came in. | She recalled ahead of the inquiry: "He had only been gone a few minutes when there was a loud thud and it was as if the whole roof came in. |
| "The whole place was dark and filled with dust. | "The whole place was dark and filled with dust. |
| "Within minutes somebody had got a door open and I was able to hold onto somebody's jacket and get out. | "Within minutes somebody had got a door open and I was able to hold onto somebody's jacket and get out. |
| "It was about five or 10 minutes before I realised Robert was not coming out." | "It was about five or 10 minutes before I realised Robert was not coming out." |
| The sisters of Gary Arthur described him as a "joker" and a "loveable rogue", and said the disaster had robbed them of so much. | The sisters of Gary Arthur described him as a "joker" and a "loveable rogue", and said the disaster had robbed them of so much. |
| Their statement concluded: "Nothing will ever bring our brother back, but hopefully we will be given the chance to have closure over the last five years and remember Gary as a much loved person and not just a victim from The Clutha." | Their statement concluded: "Nothing will ever bring our brother back, but hopefully we will be given the chance to have closure over the last five years and remember Gary as a much loved person and not just a victim from The Clutha." |
| John McGarrigle's son, John, described his father as his "hero". The court heard he was a writer and a Clutha regular who always used to sit in the same seat. | John McGarrigle's son, John, described his father as his "hero". The court heard he was a writer and a Clutha regular who always used to sit in the same seat. |
| The statement said: "His talent was immense and his take on things was wry and humorous." | The statement said: "His talent was immense and his take on things was wry and humorous." |
| First witnesses called | |
| The first person called to give evidence was eye witness Andrew Bergin, 30. | |
| He saw the Police Scotland helicopter flying over the Clyde on the night of the crash. | |
| He told the court: "It made what I can only describe as a spluttering noise". | |
| Mr Bergin said the helicopter's tail dipped and pointed towards the ground. He added: "Simultaneously the lights went out and it seemed to me that the rotor stopped spinning. It was still turning but not under power." | |
| He told the court the helicopter then lost height. | |
| Christopher Jaivie then gave evidence. He said the helicopter was "flying along normally" when he first spotted it. He then heard a "stuttering noise" before it fell and disappeared from sight. | |
| Taxi driver Tariq Malik, 41, was in the car park of the Grand Mosque on Ballater Street. He recalled it was a clear night when he saw the helicopter suddenly lose power. | |
| He told the court: "All I could hear was a swooshing sound as it fell through the sky." | |
| What is a Fatal Accident Inquiry? | What is a Fatal Accident Inquiry? |
| A Fatal Accident Inquiry is a public hearing held under Scots Law to investigate the circumstances of a death in Scotland. | A Fatal Accident Inquiry is a public hearing held under Scots Law to investigate the circumstances of a death in Scotland. |
| Unlike a criminal trial or a civil case, the purpose of the FAI is to determine the cause of the death, to establish if it could have been prevented and to enable the presiding sheriff to make any recommendations that he considers appropriate under the FAI legislation. | |
| The process is "inquisitorial and not adversarial", Sheriff Turnbull said as he opened the inquiry. | The process is "inquisitorial and not adversarial", Sheriff Turnbull said as he opened the inquiry. |
| It is not the purpose of a FAI to apportion blame or find someone responsible for the death. | It is not the purpose of a FAI to apportion blame or find someone responsible for the death. |
| The Crown has responsibility for calling witnesses and leading evidence at an FAI, although, as in this case, other participants may also be represented and question witnesses. | The Crown has responsibility for calling witnesses and leading evidence at an FAI, although, as in this case, other participants may also be represented and question witnesses. |
| There is provision under the FAI legislation for other participants also to lead evidence | There is provision under the FAI legislation for other participants also to lead evidence |
| At the end of an FAI, the Sheriff will make a determination which will include making improvements to any system of working and the taking of any other steps which might realistically prevent other deaths in similar circumstances. | At the end of an FAI, the Sheriff will make a determination which will include making improvements to any system of working and the taking of any other steps which might realistically prevent other deaths in similar circumstances. |
| More than 100 people were in the bar when the Police Scotland helicopter crashed through the roof at 22:22. | |
| The Eurocopter EC 135, operated by Bond Air Services, had been returning to its base on the banks of the River Clyde. | |
| The inquiry, which is being held in a temporary court at Hampden Park - the home of Scottish football - will not sit every day and is expected to hear about three months' worth of evidence between now and August. | |
| The first four weeks will involve eyewitnesses and representatives of the the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) and Airbus. | The first four weeks will involve eyewitnesses and representatives of the the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) and Airbus. |
| The witness list does not include any emergency services personnel who responded to the disaster. | The witness list does not include any emergency services personnel who responded to the disaster. |
| It is understood that the evidence of police, fire and ambulance personnel has been accepted by all those participating in the inquiry which means it will be presented in written documents. | It is understood that the evidence of police, fire and ambulance personnel has been accepted by all those participating in the inquiry which means it will be presented in written documents. |
| In October 2015 a report from the AAIB concluded the pilot did not follow emergency protocol and flew on despite low fuel warnings. | In October 2015 a report from the AAIB concluded the pilot did not follow emergency protocol and flew on despite low fuel warnings. |
| It also found fuel transfer pumps were turned off and a controlled landing was not achieved for "unknown reasons". | It also found fuel transfer pumps were turned off and a controlled landing was not achieved for "unknown reasons". |
| And it recommended all police helicopters be equipped with black box flight recording equipment. | And it recommended all police helicopters be equipped with black box flight recording equipment. |
| Police took more than 2,000 statements and more than 1,400 productions have been assembled for the FAI. | Police took more than 2,000 statements and more than 1,400 productions have been assembled for the FAI. |
| The Crown's dedicated Helicopter Incident Investigation Team also commissioned an interactive model of the EC 135's fuel system. | The Crown's dedicated Helicopter Incident Investigation Team also commissioned an interactive model of the EC 135's fuel system. |
| Clutha timeline | Clutha timeline |