On 16 January 2013, an Agusta A109 helicopter crashed in Vauxhall, London,[1] after it collided with the jib of a construction crane attached to St George Wharf Tower.

Barnes was an experienced helicopter pilot, flying commercially for many years – including having experience with the Great North Air Ambulance Service.

[4] Barnes had been en route from Redhill Aerodrome to Elstree Airfield to collect a passenger,[5] businessman Richard Caring,[6] and then fly onwards to Yorkshire.

[12] The scene of the wreckage itself was attended by 88 fire brigade personnel who extinguished the blaze within 20 minutes, while a further 57 worked to make the damaged crane safe and to help evacuate residents from the tower.

[14] ITV News reported that First Capital Connect warned passengers against travelling in the area, though the station was at the time actually served by South West Trains and London Underground.

Kate Hoey, the Labour Member of Parliament for the Vauxhall constituency, told the BBC that, in her opinion, there should be an "inquiry into the increasing numbers of helicopters flying around London".

[20][21] A preliminary report published by the AAIB on 23 January[5] indicated that Caring, the client Barnes was to collect, had expressed concerns about the weather and twice suggested he delay take-off.

[5][6] But Barnes stated that he had already started his engine, and chose to proceed with the flight across London in weather later described by the Met Office as prone to widespread low cloud, poor visibility and patches of freezing fog.

[5] The AAIB report also stated that: In March 2013, BBC London report indicated that the crash could have been prevented, based on a study written in 2005 to which "19 experts contributed, from organisations including National Air Traffic Services (NATS), the MoD, the Metropolitan Police Air Support Unit and the British Helicopter Advisory Board".

A number of safety issues had been raised by the study – particularly relating to visibility, meteorology and flying in a crowded and complex urban environment – but the CAA had not yet made any changes to the air rules.