A FORMER Bury man, killed when his helicopter crashed on moorland near Bolton, had little experience of flying in poor weather, a report has revealed.

Accident investigators acknowledged Wayne Burgess was an accomplished pilot, but he was not qualified to fly by instruments in near-zero visibility.

Mr Burgess, a helicopter flying instructor who lived in Shilton near Coventry, another pilot Neil Waterfall, 38, and passenger James Roe, 40, both from Derbyshire, were all killed on February 1 when the Robinson R44 helicopter they were travelling in from Blackpool to Coventry got into difficulties, coming down on Anglezarke Moor near Bolton. As the aircraft flew into thick cloud, Mr Burgess, formerly of Heap Bridge, Bury, radioed a Warton radar team, giving his aircraft's call sign: "Helicopter Golf Mike Echo we're in trouble". No more was heard from the helicopter.

A police helicopter pilot who flew close to the accident site on the afternoon of the crash said conditions in the immediate area of the site were "totally unsuitable for visual flight".

The accident report said that it was unlikely that any technical failure contributed to the accident. It added that the "erratic flight path" and variations in air speed suggested that the pilot had flown into the cloud inadvertently and "had become disorientated and was unable to control the helicopter".

However, the sister of Mr Burgess, from Heap Brow, near Bury, has told how she is proud that her brother did everything possible to try and avert the tragedy.

Miss Julie Burgess said: "I know he did his best right up to the very end and I am proud of him. I have always been proud of him, during his training to become a helicopter pilot and at his death.

"He died doing something he loved doing. I wouldn't say there was any problems with his flying. He was in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Mr Burgess, a former employee of local printing firm Redfern Flexpack, had left Bury seven years ago to take up a job as a warehouse manager in the West Midlands. The 32-year-old later gained his helicopter pilot's licence and worked full time for Coventry Helicopter Centre as a flight control manager.

Describing the full accident report as fair, Miss Burgess added: "Wayne was a very confident pilot and he had done the flight from Blackpool to Coventry many times."

A full inquest will now be held to establish the cause of death of all of the crash victims.