The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Building firm duo feared among five dead in helicopter
Couple’s company owned crashed aircraft
A couple who run a construction company are feared to be among the victims of a helicopter crash in Snowdonia.
North Wales Police said five bodies were found along with the wreckage of the helicopter in the Rhinog mountains near Trawsfynydd on Thursday.
A major search of the area was launched on Wednesday afternoon when the privately-owned TwinSquirrel aircraft failed to arrive in Dublin.
Kevin and Ruth Burke, from Hulcote near Milton Keynes, close to where the helicopter took off, are directors of Staske Construction - the registered owner of a Twin Squirrel.
When contacted, a woman who answered the phone for the company said: “We are not going to talk to you, we are not going to talk to anybody regarding the crash.”
Neighbour Elizabeth Thornley said the couple had not lived at their home long and had been “doing up the house for about a year and a half”.
The 24- year- old, who said the couple “keep to themselves”, said she saw a lot of cars near the house on Thursday morning.
She said: “Then one of the neighbours said ‘have you heard about the crash,
“This is an agonising time for the families and friends of all involved”
the helicopter crash?’ I thought it had crashed into a horse’s paddock, but they said no Kev i n ’ s had crashed.”
On what is thought to be her Facebook profile Mrs Burke states she is originally from Dublin, the city which should have been the final destination of the helicopter.
One Hulcote resident, who did not give his name, said Mr Burke was originally from Manchester, a pilot himself, and had a 14year-old son and 19-yearold daughter.
Another neighbour, RichardMann, said he and Mr Burke had both previouslybeenHulcoteandSalford parish councillors.
He said: “Kevin, I think, is a very astute businessman, outgoing, hail fellow well met, always seemed very cheery.”
Superintendent Gareth Evans, of North Wales Police, said the crash victims had not yet been formally identified but their families were being supported by specialist officers from Thames Valley Police.
He added: “I’m sure you’ll appreciate this is an agonising time for the families and friends of all involved. Our thoughts are very much with them at this time.”
Mr Evans said the exact location of the crash site was not being revealed to allow recoveryof thebodies from the “very difficult and challenging terrain”.
A full investigation into the cause of the crash will be led by the Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB) and a team of inspectors has been sent to the site.
An extensive search of the Irish Sea and Snowdonia was launched at about 4.15pmonWednesday after the distress and diversion system lost radar contact with the aircraft.
Mr Evans said: “Local conditions were described as atrocious with visibility downto less than 10metres in places.
“My thanks go out to the professionalism and commitment of all those personnel involved in this operation.”