A simulation of fatal Clutha flight to be shown at FAI

A simulation of the fatal flight will be shown at the FAI

The fatal accident inquiry into the Clutha helicopter tragedy will see a simulation of the fatal flight.

The first of three preliminary hearings has been held ahead of the inquiry, which is due to start in April.

A police helicopter crashed into the Clutha Bar in Glasgow in November 2013, resulting in the deaths of 10 people.

The names of those who died were read out at the outset of the hearing at Hampden Park.

Sheriff Principal Craig Turnbull said he anticipated the inquiry would be "lengthy and complex".

It will seek to establish the circumstances of the deaths, and what can be done to prevent a similar tragedy in future.

The helicopter crew who died in the crash were pilot David Traill, PC Tony Collins and PC Kirsty Nelis.

Seven customers in the Clutha pub also died. They were John McGarrigle, Mark O'Prey, Gary Arthur, Colin Gibson, Robert Jenkins, Samuel McGhee and Joe Cusker.

The crash happened in November 2013

In his opening remarks, Sheriff Principal Turnbull said: "The names that were read are those of the 10 people who died as a consequence of the events of November 29, 2013, when a helicopter - then carrying out operations on behalf of Police Scotland - crashed into the Clutha Bar on Stockwell Street."

Roddy Dunlop QC, representing aeronautics company Airbus, told the hearing there was a compilation of footage that would be available for the inquiry.

He said: "I have seen and have shown to the Crown a video simulation which has been compiled by Airbus which attempts to provide a graphic depiction of the flight and events in the cockpit during the flight, that has been put together from the data available post crash from, for example, the non-volatile memory which was able to be interrogated post crash.

"In my submission, that will be of some assistance to your lordship, and indeed to participants, in understanding what was happening in the course of the fatal flight."

3D Interactive Model

Procurator fiscal depute Sean Smith QC said he was looking into the feasibility of a 3D interactive model of a helicopter.

He said: "It may assist the court so that one can see at a glance what's being referred to."

The hearing was told that 100 productions and more than 1,700 witness statements have already been made available by the Crown to the representatives.

Mr Smith was asked to estimate how long the inquiry would take and said that after speaking to others involved he thought it would take about six months.

The sheriff asked for certain documents to be lodged at Glasgow Sheriff Court by a deadline, including what is likely to be disputed at the FAI, and continued the hearing until the next date in December.