A REPORT into the Clutha crash which claimed 10 lives will be published almost two years after the tragedy.

The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) today confirmed "several weeks of investigation are still required" in order to complete the probe.

It is understood a draft will be issued to "interested parties", early next year.

At around 10.25pm on November 29, the Police Scotland helicopter crashed through the single-storey pub after both engines failed.

The pilot who died was David Traill and his passengers were Pc Kirsty Nelis and Pc Tony Collins.

More than 100 people were in the popular city centre bar, near the River Clyde, at the time of the crash.

Those killed in the pub were John McGarrigle, 57, Mark O'Prey, 44, Gary Arthur, 48, Colin Gibson, 33, Robert Jenkins, 61, and Samuel McGhee, 56.

The AAIB statement read: "The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) has continued to work closely with accredited representatives from Germany and France and advisors from the helicopter manufacturer, the engine manufacturer, the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), the UK Civil Aviation.

"Authority (CAA) and the operator, together with other specialists, to establish the causes and contributory factors that led to the accident.

"The helicopter was not fitted and not required to be fitted with crash-protected flight data or cockpit voice recorders and its systems did not provide for the continuous recording of operational parameters.

"As a result, significant work was required to extract and analyse the contents of non-volatile memory (NVM) from micro-chipped equipment known to record data.

"This, together with further examination of the aircraft and subsequent tests, has now been completed, to the extent that the investigation team may reach its conclusions.

"Several weeks are still required to complete the draft final report and it is expected that this draft will be circulated to 'interested parties', as defined by the Regulations, for comment early in 2015.

"The final report is expected to be published in the middle of 2015."