Inquest into the deaths of Army pilots begins
Two Army pilots were killed when their helicopter crashed into power lines as they flew low and fast through a wooded valley, an inquest heard.
A 16-year-old schoolboy witnessed the crash from his home and yesterday recalled the fatal crash four years on.
Instructor Warrant Officer Vince Hussell, 36, and Lieutenant Mark Reynolds, 24, of the 670 Regiment Army Air Corps, died from multiple injuries suffered when their Squirrel Army chopper hit the 33,000 volt power lines in May 2008 during the low flying training exercise.
The Exeter inquest heard that Lt Reynolds, from Aslockton, was the student pilot and WO Hussell, from Chipping Sodbury, Gloucs, was the trainer but it was unclear who had been handling the controls at the time of the crash.
Southampton University music student Henry Lamb, now 20, was revising for his GCSEs at his family home in Kingscott near Torrington, Devon, when he witnessed the crash.
He gave evidence yesterday and told the coroner and the victims' families that he had never before seen aircraft flying so low and so fast in the area.
Henry said the area was regularly used for low flying military exercises using jets and helicopters.
He said: "I was surprised how low and fast they were going. I am used to them flying about but not used to seeing them as low as that before."
He said one of the helicopters was a 'tree level' when 'it appeared to have dodged around something' and was 'forced down into the bottom of the valley'.
Henry said one of the two helicopters flew around as the second one hit trouble.
He said: "One of the helicoopters dropped down into the valley - that's the one that crashed - and tried to dodge around something.
"It was a very steep manoeuvre and then disappeared out of sight for a split second.
"Where it dodged is in the vicinity of the power lines."
Henry said then there were "three very bright and light flashes" up to the poles that suspended the three power cables across the wooded valley.
"I was not aware of any sounds. I saw smoke and the power went off.
"I was certain the helicopter had hit the power lines and I could not see the helicopter coming up from the valley. Something had gone wrong.
"I did not want to believe a helicopter had just crashed and had made it up the valley."
He told the inquest the chopper had been 'spinning out of control' before the crash in drizzling rain and poor visibility.
He said one of the blue and yellow helicopters was at tree level, higher than the second one which was flying 'below tree level while flying through the valley.'
Answering a question from WO Hussell's mother, Henry said he saw the cockpit and felt the crew were trying to regain altitude 'very suddenly and very sharply'.
He said despite the weather conditions, the power cables were 'still visible'.
Local farmer Paul Herniman was in a field with his cows when he saw the two helicopters in the valley but he claimed they were flying slowly.
But he told the coroner: "The helicopters were travelling really slowly. I could see people in them. They were going so slowly I thought if they were in a war they would be easy targets."
The 43-year-old dairy farmer said he then heard 'a ping or popping sound' but did not pay much attention.
He then saw one of the helicopters hovvering overhead and said: "I had a feeling something was wrong."
After that he said: "I heard a loud bang. The bang was so loud it frightened the cows and they ran off."
He thought the power lines had been hit and said the cables were 'drooping' and the poles they were suspended from leaning over.
"The power lines do blend in with the trees in the valley. Sometimes you can see them and other times you cannot see them."
The two victims were based at Middle Wallop and the coroner Dr Elizabeth Earland says it appeared the helicopter struck electric wires and crashed into woodland.
WO Hussell, who was strapped into the left hand seat, died almost instantly in the wrecked aircraft and Lt Reynolds was found lying on the ground but died on arrival at the North Devon Hospital after being airlifted there by a RAF Sea King helicopter. Both died from multiple injuries.
WO Hussell, a married father of three, was a veteran pilot with more than 2,000 hours flying experience. His widow Liz was at the hearing along with Lt Reynolds' parents.
The inquest, due to last three weeks, is continuing.
