Grandmother killed as helicopter lands next to hospital path

A GRANDMOTHER was blown over and killed by a helicopter landing on her way to a hospital appointment.

Jean Langan, 87, was thrown off balance as she walked with her niece on a footpath near a helipad at Derriford Hospital, Plymouth where a HM Coastguard helicopter was landing with a casualty from a separate incident.

Another woman, aged in her 80s, is in hospital with a broken pelvis after her car door was blown shut in the incident, Devon and Cornwall Police said.

Det Insp Andy Hodges said Devon and Cornwall Police are helping the Air Accident Investigations Branch looking into the incident, which took place at around 11.20am on Friday.

He said: “Whilst the helicopter was in the process of landing on the helipad, the downdraught caused one member of the public, an 87-year-old woman from the Plymouth area who was on a nearby footpath, to be blown over.

“She sustained a serious head injury and later died in Derriford Hospital.

“Her next of kin have now been informed and a file is to be prepared for the coroner.

“A second woman, also in their 80s, was in the car park when it is believed the downdraught caused the car door to slam shut whilst she was exiting her vehicle.

“She has suffered a broken pelvis and remains in hospital in a stable condition.” A friend of the injured woman, Lauren Newby, described the incident on social media.

She wrote: “This lovely lady and her aunt were walking back to the car when the coastguard helicopter landed on the helipad – case of wrong place wrong time.

“It threw this lady and her elderly aunt back with enough force to cause grievous injuries to her aunt.

“The coastguard helicopter is very large and heavy, significantly bigger than the air ambulance so when it landed it probably pushed down enough force to throw anything within the area.”

‘Something similar happened a few years back. I believe the lady involved then only broke her wrist’

Gael Hill, Ms Langan’s niece, who had lived with her for over a decade, praised an off-duty nurse and trainee nurse who came to their aid.

Hospital users claimed on social media that there have been previous incidents where people have been injured as they used a walkway that is next to the helipad.

Andrew Kirby wrote: “Something similar happened a few years back.

“I believe the lady involved then only broke her wrist.”

Jade Jones said: “The helipad should be away from the main entrance, it’s literally right next to it and on a main path.”

Derriford Hospital was contacted for comment.