Police helicopter falls onto busy pub - Appeal for images

[DaveNewcastle]

Last night (Fri 29th Nov at 22:25pm) a Police helicopter flying over Glasgow city centre fell onto the roof on the Clutha Vaults, a pub and music venue near the River Clyde, whose roof swiftly collapsed on top of those inside.
Between 100 and 150 people were in the pub while band Esperanza were playing on-stage.
Eight lives have been lost and another 14 are in critical condition.

The Eurocopter EC135 T2 was operated by Bond Air Services and carried 3 persons, 2 police officers and its pilot, all of whom have all lost their lives.
It is being suggested that the pilot, with limited control of the failing craft still available, was attempting a descent into the Clyde.

Following one eye witness report that the helicopter's rotors had stopped turning before it hit the ground, the Police are now asking for assistance from the public in the form of evidence such as images on the helicopter during its last moments in the air.

BBC story here : Glasgow helicopter crash: 'Multiple injuries' at Clutha pub

Appeal for images here Glasgow helicopter crash: Police appeal for Clutha tragedy video.

I'm familiar with the Clutha Vaults - its a quaintly small, single storey bar on Stockwell Street, with excellent record of promoting live music; it's an unusually small building in among high, victorian red-stone residential blocks with retail on their ground floor, and many much newer 'steel and glass' riverside office blocks and appartment blocks. It's also on the directly opposite bank of the Clyde from Glasgow's own lubyanka just 250 meters away, the city's Law Courts, and it's just 500 meters (at its nearest point) from Glasgow's Central Station.

 

[jon0844]

When I hear the police asking for photos and video for any incident (as is increasingly the case now), it always makes me think of those people who like to exert their (non) authority by having a go at people taking photos, on the basis of it being a security risk.

In this case, I wonder if - given the time and it being dark - there would have been any time to hear and see something and get a camera out? It probably happened very quickly.

Hopefully there will be local CCTV though.

I also expect there will be calls for them to be fitted with flight recorders.

 

[St Rollox]

9 dead and X amount injured, three weeks before Christmas.
A pub many Glaswegians would have been in at least once.
In my case a long time ago when it was the WeeMans.
And old (cheap) "wine shop" as they called them then before the area went a bit more up market.
Think a few used to go between the Clutha and the two pubs nearby, Viccy Bar and the Scotia Bar.

The police helicopter has had three crashes now in 30 years.
Don't know how that compares to other cities.

I'd thought maybe Glasgow had moved on in recent years from the disasters of the past ie Ibrox, Clarkston Toll, Cheapside St, Stockline etc, but it seems not.
Btw, the above disasters are only the tip of the iceberg regarding these tragedies.
Was reading of one long forgotten case last night only a few hundred yards away from the Clutha.
A rowing boat crossing the Clyde in 1867 overturned with 27 on board.
Only 7 survived.

 

[Jonny]

When I hear the police asking for photos and video for any incident (as is increasingly the case now), it always makes me think of those people who like to exert their (non) authority by having a go at people taking photos, on the basis of it being a security risk.

I think it's more of a 'thought crime' - that someone somehow isn't ^contributing^ to the so-called "war on terror" than any indicator of actual wrongdoing...

 

[St Rollox]

Maybe the future will be unmanned drones.
At least three people out of the nine would still be alive if this machine was unmanned.

 

[WestCountry]

Maybe the future will be unmanned drones.
At least three people out of the nine would still be alive if this machine was unmanned.

And probably more - the vast majority of the weight of these things is only needed to hold up the people inside, so a drone would be far smaller and less likely to cause damage when crashing on things.

 

[PaxVobiscum]

Yesterday on his way to work, my neighbour happened across the sad convoy that was the helicopter on a low loader on its way to Farnborough with an escort of police and AAIB vehicles.

BBC Scotland broadcast a program on this tragic accident on Monday night, but unfortunately the near hysterical tone and tabloid style merely served to exploit those who agreed to take part. I now wish I hadn't watched it - ultimately it was disrespectful to those who perished, were injured or who were and will continue to be otherwise affected by the events of Friday night. The hyperbole was completely unnecessary and makes me question the editorial judgement of the BBC. A comparison with their coverage of Locherbie and Dunblane would show the extent to which this programme was misjudged.

The coverage of the popular press here that I saw at least, by contrast was rather more measured and did them credit.

 

[Mojo]

BBC Scotland broadcast a program

I switched off after 47 seconds. Awful.