Eyewitness recalls ‘terrifying’ scene as helicopter hit Clutha pub 10 years ago
Gordon Smart was on the roof of a nearby car park and saw the crash happen.
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A journalist who saw a helicopter crash into the Clutha bar 10 years ago has recalled the “terrifying” incident.
Gordon Smart, who was editor of the Scottish Sun at the time, was on the roof of a nearby multi-storey car park when he saw the helicopter fall on November 29, 2013.
He told BBC Radio Scotland’s Good Morning Scotland programme on Wednesday that he initially believed the aircraft was going to hit the car park.
I think about it a lot and have done over the last 10 years
Three crew members and seven pub customers died when the Police Scotland helicopter fell on to the roof of the bar in Glasgow.
Mr Smart said: “It was a terrifying thing to witness. I think about it a lot and have done over the last 10 years. It was a really upsetting thing to see.
“I had this weird vantage point because I just happened to be on the roof of the Q Park next to the St Enoch centre, so I saw the whole thing happen and I just couldn’t believe my eyes.
“You kind of expect a fireball or an explosion and none of that happened.
“It was quite a surreal thing to witness. When I saw the helicopter I was on a phone call having an argument with the office in London and I couldn’t hear the other guy because of the noise of the engine misfiring, and I looked up and saw the helicopter fall.
“The lights went out and it tumbled beyond me, past the Holiday Inn, the hotel next door. I dived behind the car because I actually thought it was going to hit the car park.
“It was so odd because it didn’t really make much of a noise, it was just a bit of a thump. But it was bizarre to see.
“It was a really eerie thing. It was Black Friday that day so Glasgow was really busy. It was quite a serene thing being on the roof of the car park, it was a quiet night at that time, half- past 10.
“As I looked over the edge of the car park after it happened I have got this vivid memory of a lady taking her high heels off and running towards the pub. It was such a mad thing to see.
“I didn’t sleep that night, just thinking ‘what on earth is Glasgow going to wake up to tomorrow, this is a terrible thing’.”
But Mr Smart said the incident “really pulled people together”
He added: “It felt like there was a bit of solidarity amongst the people of Glasgow afterwards, the way the people pulled together.
“People really did rally round. The city was united afterwards.”