Clutha pilot may have ‘violated safe practice’

THE pilot of the helicopter involved in the Clutha pub disaster probably ‘violated safe practice’ by failing to land after fuel warnings, an inquiry has heard.

Professor Polly Dalton, a cognitive psychologist specialising in attention and awareness, said David Traill most likely ignored ‘procedures’.

She told the Fatal Accident Inquiry in Glasgow that ‘he mistakenly believed that they were not appropriate to the particular situation’ and he ‘may not have considered the fuel warnings to reflect a genuine emergency situation’.

It follows evidence that Mr Traill did not land the police EC135 helicopter despite five low-fuel warnings during its final flight in November 2013.

Guidelines state such alerts should see the aircraft put down within ten minutes.

Professor Dalton, 41, told the inquiry that Mr Traill, described as a skilled and experienced pilot, may have been presented with conflicting evidence about the available fuel.

She set out a series of scenarios which may have led to the disaster, including the possibility that Mr Traill did not believe the cockpit fuel reading display tallied with his own calculations.

Professor Dalton also suggested that a new layout of fuel toggles in the aircraft may have led to him switching off the fuel pumps, which were found to be shut off when the helicopter came down.

She added: ‘The pilot’s failure to land the aircraft within the ten-minute time limit would appear to constitute a deliberate violation of safe practice.’

The hearing marks the end of evidence at the FAI. Sheriff Principal Craig Turnbull will now consider written submissions ahead of publishing his findings.

Mr Traill, 51, and police observers PC Tony Collins, 43; and PC Kirsty Nelis, 36, lost their lives in the crash along with seven customers who were in the bar when the aircraft came through the roof shortly before 10.30pm.