Helicopter deaths from 'accident'

Jean and Mark Price died along with their 14 month-old son Samuel

The deaths of a husband and wife and their 14-month-old son killed in a helicopter crash were accidental, an inquest has found.

Mark Price, 39, his wife Jean, 33, and baby Samuel died when their helicopter crashed in a field near Sevenoaks, in Kent, on 19 July 2003.

The family, from Chessington, Surrey, had taken off from Biggin Hill Airport.

Investigators said the cause of the crash remained a mystery as no faults were found and no emergency call made.

The privately chartered helicopter crashed shortly after take-off

The privately chartered Hughes 500 aircraft, piloted by Mr Price, came down in Cudham Lane South, Knockholt, at about 0950 BST, shortly after taking off in good weather, bound for the Canterbury area.

Emergency services were called within minutes after being alerted by a member of the public who witnessed the crash.

The family were pronounced dead at the scene by a doctor who arrived by air ambulance.

Witnesses reported hearing unusual noises coming from the aircraft which they thought were consistent with changes in engine power, an Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) revealed.

No emergency call

The AAIB said that it was "extremely likely" Mr Price would have taken the necessary action to prevent the aircraft striking the ground if he had been aware of its proximity.

The inquest concluded that maybe Mr Price did not know he was in danger until it was too late or maybe there was a fault concealed in the wreckage.

After the decision Mr Price's brother Anthony said not having an explanation would never allow him to close the case.

"I would have liked there to have been a firm outcome of what happened but as I suspected we will never know," he said.

"I'll never be satisfied until I know what happened on that day."

Stuart Mann, Jean Price's brother-in-law, said both families had been left devastated.

"Time is a great healer, we won't be able to forget what happened but we will learn to overcome the agony and move on."