DEATH CRASH CHOPPER 'FLEW LOW FOR PHOTOS' RAF Puma inquest.

Byline: LUCY THORNTON

AN RAF helicopter flew just 50 feet above a house so that a family could take snaps only hours before it crashed, killing three people on board.

An inquest heard yesterday that an Army officer on board the pounds 20million Puma had arranged for it to fly over a friend's house.

Capt Rupert Smedley of the Parachute Regiment TA sat at the open door of the helicopter filming the flight to Mark Temple's farm.

As the family took photographs the pilot dropped to between 50 and 100 feet.

Hours later the helicopter crashed killing pilot Flt Lt David Sale, 28, and his loadmaster Sgt Phillip Burfoot, 27, Pte Sean Tait, 17 died of his injuries two days later.

Several other young soldiers were badly injured in the crash near Catterick Garrison in August 2007 and three are suing the MOD for the injuries they received.

Capt Robert Earle, who has since retired, was said to have shouted the comment, "Yee Ha, Jester's dead" - from the film Top Gun - shortly before the crash. He told the hearing that he couldn't remember saying that but would have meant that it was "exciting" for the young Scots soldiers on the fatal flight.

On a cockpit voice recording played at the inquest one voice could be heard swearing as well as laughing and making whooping noises. Yesterday the inquest heard that the same pilot, on another flight made during the two-day training exercise, flew so low over a caravan park that complaints were made to the MoD.

The hearing in Harrogate continues.

CAPTION(S):

PILOT Flt Lt David Sale, Norton on Teesside LOADMASTER Phillip Burfoot from Cardiff SOLDIER Pte Sean Tait, 17, from Glasgow