Dramatic escape from helicopter fireball

Two seperate investigations are taking place into last Thursday"s dramatic helicopter crash in Bettystown, in which the pilot miraculously escaped with his life. The Department of Transport"s Air Accident Investigation Unit and officials from the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) in the United States have launched formal investigations into the crash at the Neptune Beach Hotel car park, which was being used as temporary accommodation for the new secondary school, Colaiste na hInse. Meanwhile, two local men are being hailed as heroes for their roles in clearing the area before the aircraft burst into a fireball seconds after the crash. A local school caretaker, Brian Emmet, and supermarket manager, Shane Bowe, both dashed to the scene to help others in the aftermath of the crash. It is now thought the pilot may have broken aviation rules by landing on the beach at Bettystown shortly before the accident, without receiving formal permission to land. He landed on the beach moments before and dropped off two passengers before taking off again. Moments later, the aircraft crashed in the car park of the hotel. Under Irish regulations, pilots must seek permission from landowners before bringing down an aircraft and Meath County Council has confirmed that no such permission was sought. Although Irish-owned, the twin-engined 14-seater Sikorsky S76 is officially registered in the United States, and the US aviation authority is thus also required to investigate the incident. The US investigators are expected to liaise with the Irish Department of Transport, and also send investigators to Ireland to examine the helicopter. The Sikorsky S76 is owned by Barrack Construction, a Kildare-based building company with developments in Ireland and Britain. The wreckage has since been moved to the Air Accident Investigation Unit"s base at nearby Gormanston. The investigation unit has also already launched an investigation into last Thursday"s incident and its chief inspector, Jurgen Whyte, says it is hoped to have a preliminary report within 30 days into what caused the accident. Their investigators were at the scene of the crash within 30 minutes of it being reported on Thursday afternoon and the wreckage has since been removed to the department"s examination facility in Gormanston.