Herefordshire | Archive | 2007 | July | 26
From the Hereford Times, first published Thursday 26th Jul 2007.
AN inquest heard a special forces soldier refuse to answer questions about the "mistake" that caused the death of a colleague at the Pontrilas SAS training range.
Soldier A, screened off from the hearing at Hereford Town Hall, twice said he could not answer specific questions from county coroner David Halpern in case he incriminated himself.
Mr Halpern ruled that the death of Royal Marine commando Lance Corporal Gordon Campbell, who fell 100ft from a helicopter during a night attack exercise, was accidental.
On the evidence, Soldier A made a mistake "with fatal consequences" in good faith, said Mr Halpern.
L/Cpl Campbell was abseiling out of the helicopter on to the roof of a building when the machine flew off with him still hanging on to his rope.
Soldier A was the dispatcher on board whose job it was to ensure L/Cpl Campbell had landed safely before the pilot started climbing.
The inquest heard evidence from other soldiers who saw L/Cpl Campbell still clinging on to the rope as the helicopter went up. But with no direct link between those on the ground and the aircrew, all the witnesses could do was wave and shout - actions lost amid the simulated battle at the Pontrilas last September.
Seconds later, L/Cpl Camp-bell, aged 28, fell from the rope into woodland near the target site. Home Office pathologist Dr Peter Acland said the commando probably died instantly from "massive" injuries.
The inquest was told that L/Cpl Campbell was one of a highly experienced three-man assault team tasked to drop from the helicopter on to the roof of the target building.
All three were to slide several feet down lines using a technique known as fast roping, with their hands protected by heavy gloves. The helicopter pilot, known to the inquest as Soldier M, said he put the machine into a hover over the roof of the building so the three jumpers could drop.
Though the ropes had lights attached, M couldn't see if the soldiers had landed and relied on his dispatcher - Soldier A - to say if they were down safely.
When the all-clear was given, the pilot put the helicopter into a climb having felt Soldier A shifting from side-to-side across the back of the machine apparently making his checks. As the climb began, M suddenly heard Soldier A shout "he's still on the rope". Then "he's gone off the rope".
Soldier A said, in evidence, that he had checked to see if - as training guidelines suggested - at least five feet of rope was on the roof either side of the helicopter. He then shoulder-tapped the assault team to jump from about 20-25ft up.
The team leader - Soldier D - dropped safely down the starboard side. Soldier F then dropped safely down the port side.
L/Cpl Campbell was supposed to slide straight down after the team leader. Soldier A refused to answer the coroner's questions about what he saw of L/Cpl Campbell's descent, saying he could incriminate himself if he did so. Under cross-examination he maintained that he had checked the starboard rope before giving the pilot an all-clear.
Then, as he went to haul up the rope, Soldier A realised that it was still taut with L/Cpl Campbell hanging on as the helicopter gained height and speed.
Lt Col Peter Terrett, who headed a military investigation into the death, said the probe could not pinpoint why the dispatcher made the mistake.
Since the accident, the MoD had considered changes to the way such exercises were conducted, like better radio links between aircrews and the ground and two sets of checks to ensure drop ropes were clear, the inquest heard.
In making his accidental death ruling, Mr Halpern said: "Soldier A acted in the best interests of everyone that night, but made a mistake with fatal consequences. He thought or saw the rope was clear when it wasn't."
© Newsquest Media Group 2008