THE PILOT and two passengers on board a private helicopter have died in the Mourne mountains after it crashed en route from Co Fermanagh to southern England.
The helicopter came down near Hilltown, Co Down on Saturday afternoon mid way between Newry and Newcastle.
Clarence House, the official residence of princes William and Harry, said last night that the two princes were shocked and deeply saddened by the death of their friend Charles Stisted in the crash.
Air accident investigators are examining the wreckage at the scene and local police are liaising with English officers to inform the families of the victims.
The PSNI yesterday maintained a strict cordon on access roads some distance away from the crash site. However, it was clear that the cordoned-off area is in the townland of Carcullion and that the crash happened at low altitude. The helicopter is understood to be an Agusta light-to-medium aircraft built by the Anglo-Italian builder AgustaWestland. It is capable of carrying up to eight people.
It left St Angelo airport near Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh, on Saturday afternoon with its pilot and passengers who were reported to have been on a shooting trip. Mourne Mountain Rescue, police and ambulance were alerted by residents in the Hilltown area of Co Down around 4pm that afternoon who claimed to have seen a helicopter in distress. The crash site is in a bog near a picnic area just off the road between Hilltown in the Mournes and Rostrevor, which is to the south on the shores of Carlingford Lough.
Local Assembly member Jim Wells told UTV he saw the helicopter shortly before the accident.
“The one thing I did notice was there was a very unusual noise coming from the engine,” he said The DUP man added: “I don’t know if that is in any way related to the tragedy but certainly it would seem that about a half an hour later the helicopter came down at the other side of the Mournes.”
Ed Kilmore of Mourne Mountain Rescue described the crash site and the challenges faced by the recovery team: “It is cold and it is a boggy area where the aircraft has been located, but there are tracks that will take them into it. It is a terrain they are used to working in but it will be a very traumatic follow-up.”
South Down MP Margaret Ritchie and a range of local parties expressed their shock at the loss of life. “On behalf of the people of South Down and those I represent, I offer my deepest and most heartfelt sympathies to the families of the bereaved at this most tragic time. Sincere thanks and appreciation must go to all involved in the rescue and recovery operation.”