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Aviation scientist speaks about issues of pilot concentration at inquiry into fatal helicopter crash off Shetland


By Val Sweeney

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Gary McCrossan.
Gary McCrossan.

Pilot concentration has been a longstanding issue, according to a witness at an inquiry into a fatal helicopter crash which killed an Inverness man.

Aviation scientist Steve Jarvis said monitoring of instruments could worsen unconsciously when cockpits were automated.

He was speaking at the eighth day of the inquiry into the 2013 Super Puma crash in the sea off Shetland which killed four passengers including father-of-two Gary McCrossan (59), of Westhill.

Sarah Darnley (45), of Elgin, Duncan Munro (46), of Bishop Auckland, and George Allison (57), of Winchester, also died.

Dr Jarvis, an expert in human factors, spoke about his research into vigilance decrement, the idea that people cannot maintain concentration levels on a task that is even partially automated.

Derek Pyle, Sheriff Principal of Grampian, Highland and Islands, voiced surprised helicopters did not drop from the sky on a more regular basis.

Dr Jarvis replied: "The whole system is sufficiently resilient".

An Air Accidents Investigation Branch report published in 2016 found the flight instruments were not properly monitored.

Martin Richardson for the Crown asked if the issue of monitoring by the flight crew was an isolated incident.

Dr Jarvis said monitoring had been an issue over many years but he believed the Sumburgh accident was a result of a collection of circumstances rather than a single point of blame.

"It would be a very rare event", he said.

He said it was important to understand why pilots may not notice some things but research into this area was embryonic.

"All pilots are vulnerable to human issues", he said.

A total of 18 people were on board the helicopter.

A survivor, Samuel Bull later took his own life after suffering post-traumatic stress disorder.

The inquiry continues.

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