Government’s Decision to Reject The Transport Select Committee’s Recommendation To Hold Public Inquiry is ‘Very Disappointing’

Specialist aviation lawyers representing injured victims and the families of those killed in helicopter crashes in the UK and abroad say they are disappointed with the Government’s decision not to hold a public inquiry into safety issues and say it is a ‘missed opportunity to achieve a comprehensive and transparent review that could help restore confidence in the safety of helicopter operations’.

The Transport Select Committee has today (27 October 2014) published the responses of the Government, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and the oil and gas industry to its report published in July examining offshore helicopter safety.

The report recommended that a full Public Inquiry was held to examine the issue which was backed by Irwin Mitchell’s specialist Aviation Law team, which also urged that the scope of any inquiry should be broadened to consider all commercial passenger-carrying helicopters operating in the UK airspace.

However the Government has today rejected calls for any Public Inquiry saying the CAA and the industry should be given time to implement the recommendations from the CAA’s Offshore Review – a decision which expert lawyers at Irwin Mitchell believe is a missed opportunity.

Irwin Mitchell’s specialist aviation law team represents victims and the families of those affected by a number of helicopter crashes including two off-shore incidents in October 2012 and in August last year, as well as the crash of an Augusta Westland helicopter in Vauxhall, London in January 2013.  The team is also working with colleagues at Irwin Mitchell Scotland on behalf of victims of the police helicopter crash at the Clutha Vaults bar in Glasgow in November 2013.

Jim Morris, a former RAF pilot and Partner in Irwin Mitchell’s Aviation Law team, said:

Read more about Irwin Mitchell's expertise in Air Accident Claims.