Helicopter pilot told of fear of flying in freezing fog before falling to his death
A helicopter pilot sent a text message on his mobile phone minutes before he clipped a crane in freezing fog and plummeted to his death, an inquest heard today.
Peter Barnes and crash debris in the street
Highly-experienced Captain Peter Barnes, 50, had contacted colleagues and his intended passenger amid concern about the poor weather, the inquest was told.
The pilot, whose clients had included Prime Minister David Cameron, flew past the lofty tower crane erected alongside a Thames-side block in central London.
His Agusta 109 plunged to the street at The Tower at St George Wharf, Vauxhall, in January 2013, killing him and pedestrian Matthew Wood, 39, the jury heard.
Yesterday, Mr Barnes’ partner Rebecca Dixon told the inquest at Southwark Crown Court, central London, that he “wasn’t looking forward” to the flight.
The crane hit by the helicopter
He said before the flight that he wasn’t particularly looking forward to it
She said the Berkshire based pilot, who had flown in movies including the James Bond film Die Another Day during a 24-year career, was usually “happy”.
But she went on: “He said before the flight that he wasn’t particularly looking forward to it. The forecast wasn’t very good.
Freezing fog isn’t a good outlook when you’re flying.”
The inquest heard he was due to pick up Ivy restaurant owner Richard Caring at Elstree, Hertfordshire, and take him to Yorkshire.
Captain Peter Barnes' partner Rebecca Dixon leaving the inquest
But after leaving Redhill aerodrome in Surrey, where he worked for RotorMotion, he diverted towards London’s Battersea heliport.
His colleague Declan Lehane told the inquest Mr Barnes had doubts about whether the journey would be possible.
While en-route Mr Barnes updated him by text, which was normal, he said.
Philip Amadeus, former owner of now-defunct Rotor- Motion, denied Mr Barnes had been under any pressure to fly.
The inquest continues.