Clutha inquiry: Crown could call 85 helicopter crash witnesses

Ten people were killed after the police helicopter crashed into The Clutha roof on 29 November 2013

The fatal accident inquiry into the Clutha helicopter crash in 2013 could hear from about 85 Crown witnesses.

Sean Smith QC, for the Crown, told a pre-inquiry hearing they also have a list of almost 1,400 productions to present.

He expects the inquiry at Hampden Park to take around three months of court time over a six-month calendar period.

Ten people were killed when a police helicopter crashed through the roof of the Clutha pub on 29 November, 2013.

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Pilot David Traill, PC Tony Collins and PC Kirsty Nelis died along with seven customers who were in the bar. They were John McGarrigle, Mark O'Prey, Gary Arthur, Colin Gibson, Robert Jenkins, Samuel McGhee and Joe Cusker

As part of the inquiry, the sheriff principal Craig Turnbull has requested to see an operational helicopter configured in the same way as the one involved in the crash.

There will be a further hearing at Hampden Park on 3 April with the inquiry due to start on 8 April.

Clutha timeline:

(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

29 November 2013: Police helicopter crashes on Clutha bar in Glasgow killing 10 people.

9 December 2013: AAIB preliminary report finds there was 95 litres of fuel onboard the aircraft.

14 February 2014: AAIB special report finds both engines "flamed out". One of the fuel tanks was empty, while a second contained 0.4 litres. A third contained 75 litres, but transfer pumps to take this fuel to the other two engine tanks were switched off.

23 October 2015: AAIB final report finds main cause of accident to be mismanagement of the fuel system by the pilot.

24 November 2017: Fatal accident inquiry announced.