RELATIVES of Clutha helicopter crash victims are baffled over why pilot David Traill ignored fuel supply warnings and continued to fly the police helicopter before it plunged into a pub, killing 10 people.

Mystery also remains over why two fuel supply switches in the cockpit were incorrectly switched off and the ex-RAF pilot ignored warning signals about fuel supply.

As reported in later editions of last night’s Evening Times, criminal proceedings may take place as a result of the report into the helicopter crash.

Evidence from the the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) report into the tragedy, which killed 10 people, will be investigated by prosecutors and police.
Meanwhile, the Crown Office confirmed that a Fatal Accident Inquiry will take place “as quickly as possible”.

The report revealed police helicopter pilot David Traill continued to fly for around 16 minutes – despite the cockpit alert telling him he had just 10 minutes to land.
The former RAF pilot did not follow emergency procedures after a fuel alert came on, according to air accident investigators.

The crash happened just weeks after a previous fault with the fuel system indications. In October 2013, rectification work” took place because of a “fault diagnosis” in the chopper’s supply tank indications.

Mystery still surrounds the crash despite yesterday’s publication of the long-awaited final report from the AAIB.

And the father of a man killed in the tragedy in Glasgow criticised air accident investigators’ investigators’ “cack-handed’’ response to the crash.

Ian O’Prey, whose son Mark was killed, has questioned why the AAIB does not have the power to enforce its recommendations. He said : “They just said the switches were off, but they don’t know why they were off and they would never know why they were off. “They didn’t apportion any blame at all and I don’t want to go down that road because the pilot’s family have to listen to all the nonsense that is being said.

“I don’t have any proof, but I think it was a machine malfunction. “I know from household electrical equipment that switches can just trip, so maybe that’s a possibility. “The AAIB can only make recommendations. What is the point in that?

“They’ve recommended flight data recorders be installed before, but there’s still aircraft flying.”

Investigators found that two fuel supply switches were off, yet the helicopter continued to carry out three surveillance jobs over nearby Lanarkshire rather than land on the night of the crash on November 29 2013.

John McGarrigle, who lost his father John in the tragedy said he was “baffled” that the helicopter crashed despite the pilot being aware of fuel warnings.

Police chiefs yesterday confirmed an “extensive major investigation” was underway and the report’s findings will now be considered by Police Scotland’s investigation team and prosecutors.

Crown Office sources said the report’s findings “will be fully considered” as part of the parallel investigation by Police Scotland. Crown Counsel will then make a decision on whether there should be any criminal proceedings.

The report states: “The investigation could not establish why a pilot with over 5500 hours flying experience in military and civil helicopters did not complete the actions detailed in the Checklist Emergency and Malfunction Procedures for low fuel warnings.”

Air crash investigators were unable to establish why this happened.

Captain Traill died along with PC Kirsty Nelis and PC Tony Collins after the police helicopter plunged into the roof of the Clutha Vaults pub at 10.22pm on November 29, 2013. Mark O’Prey, along with John McGarrigle, Gary Arthur, Colin Gibson, Robert Jenkins, and Samuel McGhee, who were in the pub, were killed when the roof caved in. 

Joe Cusker died in hospital 13 days later.

Deputy Chief Constable Iain Livingstone, Crime and Operational Support, said: “Since the crash, Police Scotland has been carrying out an extensive major investigation under the direction of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service.
“Today’s publication of the report by the AAIB contains a large amount of technical detail and is a significant milestone.

“The AAIB’s findings will now be considered by Police Scotland’s investigation team and the Crown.”

The 160-page report also raises questions about why two fuel supply switches in the cockpit were incorrectly turned off. According to aviation experts, this led to the engines cutting out.

Investigators also found that both fuel transfer pump switches in the main tank had been “off for a sustained period before the accident”.

This meant the fuel in the main tank was unusable.

The report also states “a successful auto-rotation and landing was not achieved, for unknown reasons”.

A Crown Office spokesman: “We welcome the publication today of the Air Accidents Investigation Branch report into the Clutha tragedy. “However, the report raises a number of questions for which the families of the victims deserve answers. 

“The Crown will now conduct further investigations into some of the complex 
issues raised by the AAIB report. “We will endeavour to do this as quickly as possible but these matters are challenging and the necessary expertise is restricted to a small number of specialists. We will continue to keep the families 
advised of progress with the investigation.


“As this tragedy involves deaths in the course of employment a Fatal Accident Inquiry is mandatory. This will be held as soon as is possible. An FAI will allow a full public airing of all the evidence at which families and other interested parties will be represented.” It is right that the evidence can be vigorously tested in a public setting and be the subject of judicial determination.


“Our thoughts remain with all of the victims and the families affected by this terrible incident.”