A JURY has returned a verdict of accidental death for the four men who died in a helicopter crash at Gatebeck near Kendal on August 3 last year.
Peter John Patrick, 68, of Carnforth and his son Anderson James Patrick, 37, of Otley in North Yorkshire, died alongside Timothy Mark Newburn, 39, and Gary Priestley, 39, of West Yorkshire.
At County Offices in Kendal today, it was heard that the Robinson R44 helicopter, which was being piloted by Mr Newburn, had crashed into a hill on Sillfield Farm while on route from Arkholme to Lockerbie in Scotland.
After hearing from expert witnesses, the jury agreed that the accident had been caused by poor weather conditions and bad visibility, which the aircraft was not fully equipped to deal with and the men were not experienced enough to handle.
For a full report see this week’s The Westmorland Gazette.
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