A “THREAD of errors” was revealed at an inquest into the deaths of three servicemen, killed when their helicopter crashed while on exercise.

Flight Lieutenant David Sale, 28, from Norton, near Stockton, Sergeant Phillip Burfoot, 27, from Cardiff, and 17-year-old Army recruit Private Sean Tait, from Glasgow, were killed when the Puma aircraft crashed at Hudswell, near Catterick Garrison, on August 8, 2007.

The 12 people on board had flown from their base at RAF Benson, in Oxfordshire, on a two-day exercise in North Yorkshire.

Flight Lieutenant Sale, flying the helicopter when it crashed in a field at Hudswell Farm, died instantly.

Sgt Burfoot was pronounced dead at the scene.

Private Tait was taken to hospital, where he died two days later.

On the first day of the inquest into their deaths, held at Harrogate Magistrates’ Court yesterday, a recording was played of the crew laughing and joking minutes before the crash.

A voice could be heard saying ‘‘s***, s***, s***’’ and an onboard computer was heard to say ‘‘low height’’ on a number of occasions.

Coroner Geoff Fell said there were a number of issues that needed addressing, including: ● Lost paperwork, which led to doubts over the qualifications of the helicopter’s two co-pilots; ● The fact that co-pilot Bobby Hamilton, now a paraplegic, had been involved in a nearmiss with two other aircraft three days previously, but was still allowed to fly; ● The fact that crews from RAF Benson had been filmed a week before flying without helmets, with ill-fitting harnesses and sitting on the edge of the helicopter’s steps midflight.

“Even at this early stage in the inquest, a thread of errors is emerging leading up to the incident,” Mr Fell said.

“I am very concerned about the things that were going on at RAF Benson at that time.”

In a simulation shown at the inquest the helicopter appeared to bank right over a building before crashing into the ground tail-first.

An air accident investigator said the tail of the craft hit the ground and broke off, causing the body of the helicopter to spin and eventually overturn.

The helicopter was shown to travel through a line of trees and continue to tumble on its side before coming to a stop.

Mr Fell said: “This inquest is not just about the helicopter’s final, fatal flight. It’s about the entire circumstances leading up to it.

“There are elements that need explaining. I will find the answers.”

The inquest is expected to last three weeks and will hear from about 40 witnesses.

DIED: Private Sean Tait