Clutha tragedy: Relatives say crash report not conclusive

The police helicopter crashed on to the Clutha bar on 29 November 2013, killing 10 people

Air accident investigators have met more relatives of those who died in the Clutha tragedy as unanswered questions remain over what caused the crash.

Other families were told on Wednesday that fuel switches to the aircraft's engines were in the off position.

But many said they were still unclear as to what caused the crash, in which 10 people died, on 29 November 2013.

Afterwards, some relatives repeated calls for black box flight recorders to be fitted in all passenger aircraft.

The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) organised two sets of private meetings with relatives of those who died at a hotel in Glasgow.

The purpose was to inform them about the findings of the final AAIB report before it is published on Friday.

'No resolution'

An interim report from the AAIB last year said that both engines on the Police Scotland Eurocopter EC 135, operated by Bond Air Services, had shut down even though there was fuel in the reserve tank.

During the briefings, relatives were told that fuel pump switches from the reserve tank were in the off position when they should have been on.

None of the relatives chose to comment following Thursday's briefing, but some of those who attended Wednesday's session said afterwards that they were no clearer as to what caused the crash.

Ian O'Prey whose son Mark died in the bar, said there was "no resolution".

Ian O'Prey questioned why a flight recorder was not fitted on the helicopter

He said: "I don't think I'm any further forward. The AAIB - they think it was switches that were left on - or weren't left on.

"My main question to them was flight recorders - if they had flight recorders, it would have taken us a fraction of the time it has taken us."

John McGarrigle, whose father John died, said: "All tonight has done for me is raise loads more questions. My head is scrambled, I'm that angry.

"Flight data recorders should be installed in every passenger-carrying aircraft - simple as. If we had that, we would know a lot more.

"We wouldn't know the full cause, but we would know half of the reasons at least and we would have learned from it."

What do we know about the crash?

Clutha victims: (Top: left to right) David Traill, PC Kirsty Nelis, PC Tony Collins, Gary Arthur, Samuel McGhee (Bottom: left to right) Colin Gibson, Robert Jenkins, Mark O'Prey, John McGarrigle, Joe Cusker

• The crash happened on 29 November 2013

• Ten people died, three on board the helicopter and seven in the pub

• Air accident investigators issued an interim report in December last year

Find out more

Jim Morris, an aviation law expert with Irwin Mitchell Solicitors, also said the lack of a "black box" had hampered the investigation.

He said: "Unfortunately, in my view, due to a lack of a requirement to fit a black box flight data recorder, we have almost more unanswered questions."

Mr Morris added: "We still do not know why fuel did not reach the engines.

"The report goes into significant detail in its analysis but it is clear from what is said in the report that they can't answer all the questions."

Aviation law expert, Jim Morris, said the report was 102 pages long and very technical

The Police Scotland helicopter came down on to the roof of the Clutha Bar at about 22:25 on a busy Friday night.

The helicopter crew who were killed were pilot David Traill, PC Tony Collins and PC Kirsty Nelis.

The seven customers in the Clutha who died were John McGarrigle, Mark O'Prey, Gary Arthur, Colin Gibson, Robert Jenkins, Samuel McGhee and Joe Cusker.