Fatal UK Heli Crash Involved False Certification

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A UK court has found former British flight instructor Ian King guilty of fraudulently obtaining a private pilot helicopter license in 2008 for a man who was killed along with his wife weeks later in the UK while flying a Gazelle. The court was advised that King, a former Army captain, had two prior Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) convictions. King pled not guilty to the charge of making a false representation with intent to deceive the CAA. The jury disagreed. The judge in the case told King his actions involved “a breach of trust” and “a disregard on your part for the safety requirements” imposed by the CAA, BrigHouseEcho.com.uk reported Thursday. King’s sentencing is set for Feb. 4. The judge was not coy about what King should expect.

The CAA in 2009 revoked King’s ability to serve as a flight instructor. Judge Tom Bayliss told King in closing comments Thursday that he should “be under no illusion” that this case would “be dealt with in any other way than custody.” The judge suggested he may consider issues affecting the former flight instructor, saying, “I would be assisted by knowing more about you and your personal circumstances when I come to sentence.” King has been granted bail until sentencing, next month. The couple killed in the helicopter crash owned a local business. Their crash resulted after takeoff from a five-star golfing hotel, according to the Daily Mail.

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