An investigation launched after the door of a helicopter fell off during the Salthill Air Show has found that the pre-flight inspection failed to detect that a member of the public had interfered with one of the emergency exits.
The door fell as the Merlin military helicopter took part in the Salthill Air Show, Galway last year. Watch video
Two members of the public received minor injuries after it fell to the ground from the helicopter which was circling over the crowds during the evening at Salthill in June 2007.
The Royal Air Force helicopter was being piloted by a 35-year-old man.
A report from the Air Accident Investigation Unit found that 400 members of the public were in the aircraft over several hours as the crew prepared to perform a static display.
The door fell from the helicopter which was hovering at around 40m over the public park close to the promenade at Salthill in Galway.
In the report, three spectators give accounts of the door falling to the ground.
A woman attending the airshow told inspectors that the door hit her in the chin before she fell to the ground.
The investigation team found that the event was not malicious but occurred as a result of, 'a mindless act of curiosity on the part of an unknown spectator.'
It also found that a contributory factor was the failure of the flight crew to detect the unsecured condition of the emergency exit during a pre-flight inspection.
