REVIEW OF PILOT DEATH
Captain Anthony TAYLOR (2002)
The death of a helicopter pilot after a crash at the Brough of Birsay in May 2002 could have been avoided, according to Sheriff Colin Scott Mackenzie. Sheriff Scott Mackenzie’s determination was published on Thursday following the Fatal Accident Inquiry at Kirkwall Sheriff Court in December. Describing Captain Anthony Taylor as a pilot of “considerable flying experience”, The Bolkow 105 helicopter was contracted from Bond Helicopters for a routine maintenance trip to the Brough's lighthouse. The sheriff said that had he been given or knew the accurate weight of the cargo his helicopter was carrying, he might have refused to take it.