Safety Warnings Years Before Helicopter Crash

9 September 2014, 11:41 | Updated: 9 September 2014, 11:56

A report into a helicopter crash in central London has found that safety concerns were raised four years before it happened in 2013.

In January last year pilot Pete Barnes, 50, in an Agusta 109 helicopter, hit a crane attached to a building at the St George Wharf development at Vauxhall and crashed into the street.

The father-of-two, who had piloted helicopters for films such as the Bond movie Die Another Day, was killed along with 39-year-old Matthew Wood who was on the ground.

12 other pedestrians were injured and cars and buildings were damaged.

An official report has now revealed concerns were raised with the Civil Aviation Authority in 2009 about how the development would affect flight paths.

The operator of London Heliport warned the CAA that pilots travelling along the south bank at low altitude due to cloudy conditions would be forced to breach rules which ban them coming within 500ft of any buildings.

The report has made 10 safety recommendations.