Helicopter crash inquest verdict

Sep 3 2008 by Neil Atkinson, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

FOUR close friends from the Huddersfield area died in a helicopter crash, an inquest was told.

The deaths of a father, his son and two friends when their helicopter crashed in poor weather were accidental, the inquest jury of four men and four women decided.

Rapidly worsening conditions led to the aircraft hitting hilly ground near Kendal, Cumbria, just eight minutes after setting off in relatively calm weather.

Peter Patrick, 68, from Arkholme, near Carnforth, Lancashire; his son Anderson Patrick, 37, of Askwith, near Otley; Tim Newburn, 39, of Brighouse; and Gary Priestley, 39, of Hipperholme, all died of multiple injuries.

The Robinson R44 helicopter was circling about a quarter of a mile from junction 36 of the M6 motorway seconds before impact as it tried to fly out of low-lying cloud on August 3 last year.