Coroner says crash taught RAF lessons

Lessons have been learned by the RAF after a helicopter collision which claimed the life of a Shropshire pilot, a coroner has said.The jury at the inquest of John Garnons Williams yesterday returned a verdict of accidental death.

The 60-year-old, of Ellesmere Road, Shrewsbury, died after the helicopter he was flying was in collision with another aircraft at Tern Hill Barracks, near Market Drayton, on January 10, 2007.

Mr Garnons Williams was performing an "engines off" exercise and flying fast and high - but he was not aware of the position of another helicopter which was flying below him and carrying out a different exercise.

Their rotary blades collided 20 metres above the ground.

Speaking after the verdict at Shrewsbury Magistrates Court, Mr John Ellery, the coroner for mid and north Shropshire, said that the jury had played an important role in public scrutiny.

He said he was satisfied the RAF had learned all the relevant lessons from the "tragic" accident.

"I realise that the recommendations and their implementation are still work in progress and will be kept under review," he said.

He asked the RAF to be aware of questions raised by himself and the jury about the possibility of two engines-off operations - the exercise being performed by Mr Garnons Williams when the incident happened - taking place at the same time.

But Mr Ellery said he did not propose to issue a formal report.

The inquest yesterday heard that any changes to the Squirrel helicopters were subject to a technical investigation but could include the fitting of new roll bars and equipment to enable it to detect other nearby aircraft.

The jury gave the medical cause of death as positional asphyxia - meaning Mr Garnons Williams could not breathe because of the position he was in after the crash.

Mr Ellery paid tribute to the "tragic loss" of Mr Garnons Williams and offered his condolences to his family.

"I hope this inquest can start to bring closure to the family and all those affected by this incident," he said.

In a statement issued after the inquest, Captain Martin Westwood, Commandant to the defence flying school at RAF Shawbury, said: "We have noted the findings of the inquest and, together with the Ministry of Defence's own investigation, we are committed to learning lessons from this tragic accident."

By Rebecca Lawrence