Death of British soldier in helicopter crash ruled an accident

The death of a British soldier killed along with two Canadian troops when a helicopter crashed on take-off in Afghanistan was an accident.

The aircraft carrying passenger Captain Ben Babington-Browne, 27, burst into flames after hitting the ground at forward operating base (FOB) Mescall in Zabul Province.

Capt Babington-Browne had boarded the Canadian Griffon CH-146 helicopter at FOB Mescall after carrying out a recce of improvement work needed at the base.

The inquest heard that the soldier, from Maidstone, Kent, was set to return to Kandahar airfield just before 2pm on 6 July 2009 when the crash happened. Capt Babington-Browne, from 22 Engineer Regiment, Royal Engineers, had been strapped in inside the helicopter but seated on the floor on take off, with his legs dangling out of the door. As the aircraft, carrying six people, tried to take off, a dustball was whipped up by the rotor blades, forcing the pilot at the controls to revert to an instrument-only take-off.

Both pilots escaped through the windscreen, along with a Canadian passenger, before attempts were made to rescue Capt Babington-Browne and the sixth crew member.

But Capt Babington-Browne – described as a “rising star” by his superiors – died from multiple injuries and inhalation of fire fumes, pathologist Dr Nicholas Hunt found.

Capt Babington-Browne’s volunteered for a six-month tour of Afghanistan, working in the headquarters of Nato’s Regional Command (South) in Kandahar.