Helicopter Crash In Vauxhall London
Two people were killed and 12 were hurt when a helicopter crashed into a crane on a building in central London.
The helicopter hit the crane on top of The Tower, One St George Wharf beside the Thames at about 08:00 GMT.
After the helicopter crushed on the ground, eight firefighters tackled the blaze.
The pilot, Capt Pete Barnes from charter firm Rotormotion, was killed, along with a person on the ground.Mr Barnes, 50 and who lived near Reading, Berkshire, had asked to be diverted to a nearby heliport because of bad weather.
Neil Basu, Metropolitan Police Commander, declaired that was a miracle the crush was not much worse.
Five people were taken to hospital with minor injuries and seven people were treated at the scene.It is thought some of the injured were hit by falling debris.
The accident happened due to a red aviation warning light on a crane.That red aviation warning lights on tall structures only need to be turned on at night – and not during bad weather in daylight hours – because they are not visible in fog or low cloud.
The rules mean the period defined as night would have ended about 30 minutes before the crash.
Part of the crane was left hanging from the side of the residential building, which is still under construction.
London Fire Brigade said part of the tail section of the helicopter landed on roof of the building and the main section landed in Wandsworth Road, hitting two cars. The fire from the helicopter ignited two buildings.
Mr Barnes is understood to have piloted helicopters in action scenes for films Die Another Day, Tomb Raider II and Saving Private Ryan.
According to his LinkedIn profile he had also operated flights for the BBC and ITN during the Athens and London Olympics.
A neighbour of Mr Barnes, who lived in Goddard’s Green near Mortimer, said the pilot had lived in the village with his partner and their two children for about five years.
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