Wednesday, January 16, 2013
First picture of helicopter pilot who died in the Thames skyscraper crash
The pilot who crashed his helicopter into a newly-built tower in central London, killing himself and a second person on the street below, was today named as experienced aviator Pete Barnes.
He had requested to divert via Heathrow air traffic control and land atBattersea Heliport, due to bad weather conditions, when the helicopter hit a construction crane at the top of the tower near Vauxhall Bridge at 8am.
Mr Barnes, 50, who flew a helicopter for James Bond film Die Another Day and had been an air ambulance pilot, was pronounced dead at the scene.
The AgustaWestland AW109 twin-engine helicopter, which struck the under-construction The Tower St George Wharf, was reported to have been carrying Mr Barnes but no passengers. One witness claimed the crane driver had a lucky escape after being unusually late for work.
The aircraft hit the ground just 20 yards from Vauxhall station, which is a major commuting hub in the capital. It was using the route of the River Thames and was believed to have been heading from Redhill, Surrey, to Elstree, Hertfordshire, to collect an executive.
Witnesses reported very low cloud at the time of the accident, suggesting the pilot may not have seen the crane, which was barely visible from street level. At least two cars were hit by debris. The area was evacuated because of the precarious position of the crane at the top of the tower.
Five of the injured were taken to hospital and the other seven were treated at the scene, ambulance officials said. Three were taken to St Thomas’ Hospital. Two went to King’s College Hospital but were discharged by the afternoon. A reception centre for members of public involved in the incident was also set up by London Ambulance Service staff.
Pauline Cranmer of London Ambulance Service said: 'There were a number of injuries that would potentially be consistent with being hit by debris. Our primary concern is about treating the injuries.' She added that two people were pronounced dead at the scene by air ambulance crews.
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Destruction: The scene in Vauxhall after a helicopter crashed in to a crane on top of skyscraper which is under construction
Collision: Two cars are believed to have been hit by debris from the crash which occurred at 8am on Wednesday
Major emergency: The scene of a helicopter crash on Wandsworth Road in Vauxhall, central London, after the fire had been extinguished
PETE BARNES (1962-2013): ONE OF BRITAIN'S TOP HELICOPTER PILOTS
Pete Barnes was one of the UK's most experienced commercial helicopter pilots, having flown more than 10,500 hours over 25 years.
The 50-year-old was born in Nottingham in 1962, and went to public school Oakham followed by the University of Derby, where he studied business and marketing.
After graduating he worked as a ski instructor, then went into the advertising industry.
In 1989, he moved to Florida and gained a commercial helicopter licence, gaining the skills he would later deploy after joining the firm RotorMotion in 1997.
Mr Barnes worked as a freelance pilot for RotorMotion and other hire companies, flying air ambulances and working on TV and film sets.
He helped rescue a motorist from a flooded ford in 2004 while working for the Great North Air Ambulance.
In his showbusiness career he appeared in adverts, TV programmes and films such as Die Another Day, starring Pierce Brosnan (pictured above with Mr Barnes) as James Bond.
Mr Barnes was a former ski instructor who had worked for charter company RotorMotion since 1997. In a wide-ranging UK career spanning 18 years, he had done everything from fly air ambulances to working as a pilot on adverts, TV programmes and films
He contributed to filming for the BBC and Sky News, and worked on films such as Die Another Day, Tomb Raider II and Saving Private Ryan, as well as providing his services to adverts and sporting events, and has been described as one of the most experienced Agusta pilots in the UK.
Mr Barnes, a graduate of the University of Derby, claimed on his LinkedIn online profile to have 25 years of experience as a pilot, and said he had clocked up more than 10,500 hours of flying in a helicopter - as well as 500 hours flying a plane.
In 2004 he helped rescue a motorist from a flooded ford in County Durham, while working for the Great North Air Ambulance. He also flew the Newcastle Traffic & Travel helicopter as the Voice of Metro FM and worked as a helicopter instructor.
Captain Philip Amadeus, managing director of RotorMotion, said the aircraft was on a commercial flight from Redhill, in Surrey, to Elstree. He said: 'Our main priority now is for the family of the pilot and we extend our greatest sympathy to the friends and relatives of those who have died and been injured.'
One eyewitness said the helicopter was 'rocking and shaking from side to side' before crashing. A worker at the New Covent Garden Flower Market, around 200 yards from the crash site, said some debris from the crash - believed to be the gearbox - hit somebody working there in the leg.
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution was searching the Thames as part of the emergency services' response to the accident. The charity launched an inshore lifeboat in the aftermath of the crash.
Terry Alkins, 28, and Joe O'Dwyer, 44, were working on an adjacent building site when the helicopter crashed into the crane.
Mr Alkins said: 'It was around 8am and we just heard this massive bang. We ran off the site and down the road and seconds later we saw the helicopter or what was left of it in flames lying on the road.
‘From what I saw I will be amazed if the pilot survived. There were at least three cars on fire, including a silver Range Rover and there were some motorbikes strewn over the road.'
Mr O’Dywer added: ‘It was so foggy this morning that you couldn't see the crane, which is attached to the residential tower that's being built.’
The London Fire Brigade said it had received numerous calls about the incident. Eight fire engines and four fire rescue units and 88 firefighters plus officers attended the scene.
Famous friends: Formula One driver Louis Hamilton is seen with pilot Pete Barnes in front of a helicopter (left), while Mr Barnes is also pictured by himself (right)
Helping hand: In 2004 Mr Barnes (left and right) helped rescue a motorist from a flooded ford in County Durham, while working for the Great North Air Ambulance
Carnage: Debris lies on the ground after a helicopter crashed into a construction crane on top The Tower St George Wharf in central London
Mangled wreckage: The scene after a helicopter crashed into a construction crane on top of the St George Wharf tower building in Vauxhall, central London
Remains: The helicopter hit the crane before plunging into the road below during the morning rush hour in central London today
Smashed: London Fire Brigade handout photo (pixelated at source) of the scene in Vauxhall, central London after a helicopter crashed into a crane
EYEWITNESS: HELICOPTER WAS SHAKING BEFORE IT HIT CRANE
Sharon Moore lives on an estate just yards from the crash scene.
The 36-year-old telephoned the emergency services having witnessed the crash with her eight year old daughter Tia at 7:55am.
She said: 'We looked up and we heard firstly the helicopter and one minute it was flying normally and the next it was being erratic.
'It was rocking and shaking from side to side and then it went straight into the arm of the crane.
'The helicopter just came spiralling down and then it hit at least one car that was driving towards Vauxhall.
'There were three loud bangs which just went "boom boom boom" and it looked as if another car was also on fire.'
The London Ambulance Service sent a motorcycle responder, six ambulance crews, its hazardous area response team and two officers to the scene. The first crew was at the area in less than four minutes. The air ambulance medical team were also dispatched in a car.
The incident happened close to the MI6 headquarters, which reportedly went into lockdown for a short period when the helicopter first crashed over fears the spy office may have been under attack.
Witness Robert Oxley told Sky News: ‘There’s a very low hanging cloud which means you can hardly see the top of the building and that would explain why the helicopter hit it.
'This is right next to Vauxhall Bus Station, which is a major commuting point. We arrived to find the area sealed off. Suddenly everyone was exiting their vehicles.'
Police said there was nothing to suggest a terrorism link to the crash. ‘There's nothing in our world at this stage,’ a spokesman for London's Counter Terrorism Command said. ‘There's nothing to suggest any terrorism link.’
Peter Cowup, assistant commissioner at London Fire Brigade, said: 'We're doing what we can to make that safe and working with specialist contractors to assess the damage sustained to the crane. At the moment there's no imminent risk of that crane collapsing.'
And Metropolitan Police Commander Neil Basu added: 'It was something of a miracle that this was not many, many times worse.'
The crash happened close to the home of Gareth Thomas, the former Welsh rugby star who is now competing in Dancing on Ice.
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