Two soldiers killed in helicopter crash
Two soldiers were killed yesterday after their helicopter crashed in Northern Ireland.
A spokesman for the Army refused to rule out terrorism as a potential cause.
The Gazelle helicopter, believed to have been on a training flight from Omagh in Co Tyrone, some 40 miles away, crashed on the outskirts of the city of Londonderry.
The helicopter appeared to be going through “tests” when it suddenly went into a steep dive and hit the ground near a rugby club, witnesses reported.
John Arbuckle, who was watching the craft from his car, said: “They were going into spins and descending quickly, and then they were climbing to altitude again. I thought they were test piloting. They were trying her out.
“He [the pilot] put her into a steep dive and I thought, there’s no way he’s coming out of that, is he mad? It just got faster and faster as it dived – basically straight down, head first. I jumped over the hedge and ran in but it was unrecognisable, you wouldn’t have known it was a helicopter.
“There was nothing could be done for the people who were in that helicopter. It was so badly mangled, it was just smashed to pieces.”
Northern Ireland Secretary Paul Murphy said: “My heart goes out to the families of those killed in this tragic accident. Their terrible loss is a reminder of the dangerous and vital work carried out by Army pilots every day.”
The Army said the names of the dead pilots would be held back until their next of kin had been informed.
