Helicopter pilot escapes jail for Bettystown crash

A helicopter which crashed and exploded into flames in the centre of a busy seaside town was too big for the car park the pilot was trying to "squeeze it into," a district court judge was told last week. The pilot - 35 years-old William Curry - admitted it was "an error of poor judgement," in deciding to land the Sikorsky S76B in the car park of the Neptune Beach Hotel in Bettystown on 18th September 2008. Judge Flann Brennan said it was "a miracle he survived this incident and that nobody else was killed or injured". As he imposed a €5,000 fine and a jail term of three months, which he suspended, Judge Brennan added that what he found "staggering" was that Curry had seen a Land Rover and a woman and a child in the car park but went on to land in "a decision that seems to have been incredibly reckless". It was "reckless beyond belief and I have to take the most serious view that I possibly can", he added. Drogheda Court heard from two experts with the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) which brought the prosecution against Curry, with an address at Riverside Crescent, Kilcullen, Co Kildare, but who is now running a helicopter pilot training business in Portugal. Captain Paul Gingell from the IAA investigation team said the field of debris from the burnt-out helicopter was found up to 70m away. The hotel car park faces onto the main street in Bettystown and on the other side of the street are apartments and shops. The aircraft was registered in the US to Barrack Aviation and had flown to Bettystown with two passengers on board. It landed on Bettystown beach and the two passengers got out. When a large crowd of people gathered to look at the helicopter, Curry decided to try and land somewhere else and was given permission to land in the hotel car park, the court was told. While attempting to do this, one of the rotor blades struck a street light in the car park, damaging the aircraft, and when it fell to the ground, it went on fire and exploded. At the time, part of the hotel was being used as a temporary secondary school although the pupils had finished for the day just a few hours earlier. Captain John Davidson Steel from the IAA said there should have been "no attempt whatsoever to land in such an environment". The dimensions involved were, he said, "less than the physical size" needed for the aircraft "he was trying to squeeze in there". He told the judge that the space Curry had available to land in the car park was 11m x 20m when it should have been at least 32m x 32m and it should have been at least 21m away from the nearest building or obstruction. The car park was what is in the industry is known as a 'hostile congested environment,' he said. Curry pleaded guilty to three offences - flying in a reckless manner so as to endanger life or property, flying in a congested area in a manner so that a safe landing could not be made if there was a power failure, and landing where there was undue hazard to people or property. The defendant told the IAA he saw the car park being cleared, except for a silver-coloured Land Rover. As he descended, a fire warning light came on in the aircraft. He also said he had seen a woman and child in the car park who were behind the Land Rover but he said he was at this stage past the point where he could stop the landing manoeuvre. However, in response to Mr Jonathan Kilfeather, SC, for the IAA, Capt Davidson Steel said the helicopter was a twin-engine aircraft and there was "another engine to get him out of trouble". Curry's solicitor said he was remorseful, realised it was a stupid mistake and it arose out of "a failure of judgement" and out of concern for people on the beach. He believed he was putting the craft in a more secure and fenced-in area, he said. His pilot's licence was suspended by the IAA until he met their requirements on additional training and practical and theoretical knowledge. His licence has been restored and he is now living in Portugal where he operates a helicopter flight training business, the court heard. Judge Brennan was also told Curry had an American pilot's licence but the landing space in the car park did not meet American regulations either. In addition to the maximum fine of €5,000 and the suspended sentence, Judge Brennan awarded costs against the defendant totalling €5,000.