Investigators probe air crash

Captain Andy Nicoll was described as a talented sportsman

Air accident investigators have begun examining the wreckage of a helicopter crash in Londonderry which claimed the lives of two soldiers.

They died after their aircraft made a forced landing near the City of Derry rugby club in Gransha at about 1530 GMT on Monday.

The investigaters are checking air traffic control tapes from City of Derry airport to try to establish what happened in the moments before the crash.

Terrorism has been ruled out as a potential cause of the crash involving a Gazelle helicopter, which came down in a field near Judges Road.

The bodies of the two soldiers, who belonged to 5 Regiment Army Air Corps, were removed from the scene on Tuesday morning.

They were Captain Andrew Nicoll, 27, who was single and from Grantham in Lincolnshire. He was the pilot of the helicopter and had only completed his training in July.

His co-pilot was Sergeant Simon Bennett, 35, a married father-of- three from Telford in Shropshire.

My heart goes out to the families of those killed in this tragic accident. Their terrible loss is a reminder of the dangerous and vital work carried out by Army pilots every day Paul Murphy Secretary of state

He had recently transferred to the Air Corps from the Welsh Guards.

Captain Nicoll was described as "a talented sportsman and world-class canoeist" who was shortly to depart for Australia to continue his training in preparation for the 2004 Olympics.

A memorial service for the soldiers was held on Tuesday in an aircraft hangar at RAF Aldergrove.

The Gazelle had been on a routine flight from Omagh in County Tyrone, nearly 40 miles from the crash scene, and was destined for Ballykelly Army base.

It had taken off from Lisanelly Barracks in the town about 15 minutes earlier.

Eyewitnesses described the aircraft as "spiralling out of control".

The scene was thought to have been about 70 metres from a row of five houses.

William Hay, a Democratic Unionist Party assembly member, said the investigation into the crash must be open and transparent to allay public concerns about helicopter activity in the area.

'Accident investigators'

On Monday, Northern Ireland Secretary of State Paul Murphy said he was shocked by the deaths.

"My heart goes out to the families of those killed in this tragic accident. Their terrible loss is a reminder of the dangerous and vital work carried out by Army pilots every day," he said.

The remains of the helicopter in which two soldiers were killed

Group Captain Martin Sharp said it was a tragedy for the soldiers' families.

"My thoughts are very much with the families - they are the people who our hearts go out to," he said.

"I'm sure all of us are feeling that way. They are the ones who will feel the loss very deeply and it is a tragic moment."

The Gazelle's primary role is observation and reconnaissance and is also used in a wide variety of supporting roles.

More than 1,000 are in service with armed forces and civil aviation organisations throughout the world.

In July last year, two people were treated in hospital following an incident in County Londonderry in which an Army Gazelle helicopter ditched in Lough Foyle.

The helicopter was returning to the Ballykelly Army base after a routine flight when the accident happened.

The pilot and a passenger were treated for shock and minor injuries.