Jean Langan's family's immeasurable loss after Derriford tragedy

The family of an 87-year-old woman who died after being knocked to the ground by the downwash of a large HM Coastguard helicopter as it landed at Derriford Hospital have said they hope such a "terrible" incident will never happen again to anybody else.

Following a jury-led inquest into the death of Jean Langan which took place at Exeter Country Hall, now the main coroner's court for Devon following its relocation from Plymouth, her death was determined an accident.

However, senior coroner Ian Arrow concluded the hearing stating that he would make a Prevention of Future Deaths report which would be sent to the Department of Transport following evidence he had heard over the three days. An Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB) inquiry found a number of "systemic safety issues" not just at the Derriford Hospital helipad but with helipads across the country.

The AAIB highlighted causal and contributory factors which led to the death of Jean and made a number of recommendations which were read out at the inquest. As a consequence of the incident, Derriford Hospital said larger helicopters as used by HM Coastguard would never be allowed to land at the helipad again, with them being made to land at Bickleigh Barracks and patients then transported by land ambulance to the Accident and Emergency department.

During the hearing, a heart-breaking statement written by her family was read to the court, explaining that her ""sudden and violent death has been huge". They said she would have "hated" the publicity surrounding her passing and felt she had "lost the quiet dignity that she would have chosen".

The inquest heard how she was "very proud of her son and his family and doted on her three grandchildren", adding that her son had found it "too distressing to participate in the inquest proceedings". She had become a "key figure" for the children in her wider family network and the youngest ones were left "distressed and confused about the sudden loss of Auntie Jean".

She was described as an "expert" at knitting, a keen recycler and nature lover who enjoyed long walks in nature reserves and National Trust properties with the family dog.

The family stated they accepted Mrs Langan was elderly and knew "that one day we would lose her". They added: "However, the manner of her death has affected us immensely. Jean was doing nothing wrong."

The senior coroner agreed to release still images from CCTV footage shown repeatedly during the inquest, showing the route Jean and her niece took across Car Park B on March 22, 2022 following her appointment at the hospital's audiology department to have new hearing aids fitted.

In the footage Jean and Gael could be seen walking along the length wall of the helipad. At one point, as the large HM Coastguard helicopter came into view at the top right of the screen, Jean was struck with a blast of downwash causing her to stumble and fall backwards, striking her head.

One member of the public appeared to race from the left end of the screen, running alongside the wall towards where Jean and her niece were, while two more came from further to the right. One person was then seen running towards a park ambulance at the other end of the car park and alerting two paramedics who then raced across the car park towards Jean.

A Home Office forensic pathologist told the inquest Jean's head injuries were substantial and she was given palliative care before passing away around three and a half hours after the incident.

Following the conclusion of the inquest, Jean's family released a further statement expressing their hope that action would now be taken.

They said: "Jean’s death was a devastating, tragic event which should never have happened. Jean had every right to expect to be able to walk safely on a public footpath within the hospital grounds. The loss and distress that the family suffers is immeasurable. Jean was the matriarch of the family and is still very much loved and missed every day.

"The Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB) has investigated this incident and, following the investigation, the AAIB published a report. The High Court has indicated that the AAIB findings and conclusions are to be accepted as evidence as the cause of the Air Accident. We were disappointed that, as a result, the whole of our statement, along with other witness statements, were not read out in court.

"Through the investigation process we have been made aware that there were multiple failings across a range of agencies which lead to this fatal incident. The family trust that these proceedings, along with the actions which have been proposed and those that are being taken by all agencies involved, will, as a result, mean that this terrible situation can never happen again to anybody else."

Click here to join PlymouthLive on WhatsApp and we'll send breaking news and top stories directly to your phone. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.