Photographer tells of helicopter escape

A Royal Navy photographer has told an inquest of his dramatic escape from a helicopter which plunged into the sea, killing the pilot and co-pilot.

Petty Officer Paul Hanson, 39, who was on board the Lynx helicopter, described to the hearing in Dorchester, Dorset, how it nosedived into the Atlantic Ocean on 12 June 2002.

The body of the pilot Lieutenant Rodney Skidmore, 39, from Martinstown, Dorset, was later recovered from the ocean, the inquest heard.

Wednesday's inquest was dedicated solely to his death as the body of co-pilot Lieutenant Jenny Lewis, 25, from the Isle of Wight, was never recovered.

I would like to pay tribute to Rodney and Jenny for keeping the aircraft in the air for as long as they did and enabled me to get out alive

Petty Officer Paul Hanson

The inquest heard that the pair were flying the helicopter as part of trials to test Tomahawk and Sea Skua missiles fired from the Lynx on to a disused United States warship moored south-east of Norfolk, Virginia.

Petty Officer Hanson, from St Helens, Merseyside, was on board to video both the firing of the missiles and the damage caused.

He told the inquest: "I heard a bang from the starboard engine.

"The aircraft seemed to drop numerous feet, I couldn't tell how many feet it did drop down. We just nosedived and hit the water nose first."

Accidental death

Petty Officer Hanson, who was able to escape the helicopter despite a broken back, described the moment when he thought he had spotted the two pilots in the water.

He said: "There were two green helmets, they were no more than 50 or 60 feet away from me.

"I swam towards them, lifted them and they were empty. I hoped it was both of them but it was just empty helmets floating."

He added that he believed that a fire had broken out in one of the engines.

'Law's a fool'

Coroner Michael Johnston recorded a verdict of accidental death for Lieutenant Skidmore.

Speaking to Lieutenant Lewis's mother, he added: "I'm sorry the law's a fool when it won't allow me to hold an inquest into your daughter's death under exactly the same circumstances."

After the inquest Petty Officer Hanson said that he felt lucky that he was able to see his 13-year-old daughter Natasha and wife Tracy again after the accident.

An air accident investigation is still ongoing.