Helicopter maker's comment criticised

Organisation defends its late pilot after fatal crash

- OWEN YOUNGER

NEWCASTLE-BASED helicopter operator has criticised the manufacturer of the aircraft due comments made in the wake of the Isle of Wight crash which killed three people.

Northumbria Helicopters has defended late pilot Simon Hewitt after the Robinson Helicopter Company speculated on the cause of the crash.

Captain Simon Hewitt died alongside horseriding instructor Justyna Czoska, 52, and partner Wojciech Kowalkowski, 49, from Bloxham, Oxfordshire, when the Robinson R44 II helicopter came down in a field during a flying lesson on Monday. A fourth person in the vehicle, a man in his 30s, was airlifted to hospital.

David Smith, chief executive the Robinson Helicopter Company, said to the BBC: “We at Robinson are deeply saddened by the tragic helicopter crash on the Isle of Wight. Our thoughts are with the families and friends of the three individuals who lost their lives, and we are hopeful for afull recovery for the survivor.