Sudden gust led to horror crash

Emergency crews surround David Cummaford and (inset), the injured pilot is stretchered away

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A HORROR helicopter crash at Delph last July in which the pilot was seriously injured and the helicopter written off has been blamed in an official report on wind conditions at the time.

Business man David Cummaford, from Pack Horse Slack, off the A62 in Delph, escaped with his life when the helicopter he was flying toppled on to its side.

Mr Cummaford’s legs were both broken in the crash landing which happened just yards form his home.

The Air Accident Investigation Branch report into the incident said the 1999 built Robinson R44 helicopter – registration G YIIK – owned by South West Air Charter Ltd of Tregavethan, Truro, was coming into land at a private site when the crash happened.

It said that the 48-year-old pilot who had 360 hours’ flying experience was descending when there was a “large change in wind direction”.

This caused the helicopter to rotate and as the pilot fought to stop it, the machine climbed back to 200ft.

The rotating stopped but then a warning alarm sounded and the pilot decided to land in a relatively flat field below. The report said: “Just before impacting the ground the pilot raised the collective lever to try and cushion the impact.

“Nevertheless, the pilot was seriously injured and the helicopter was damaged beyond economic repair.”

The pilot was flown to Wythenshawe Hospital in an air ambulance 10 minutes after the incident.

Mr Cummaford is general manager of AbCoMa Ltd of Wellyhole Street, Oldham, which manufactures a range of coating, laminating and slitting machinery for use in a wide range of industries, from textiles to carbon fibres.

The report said he later stated that landings with the wind shifting as it was could be tricky, and he thought he had been a little slow in checking the rudder pedal during the incident.