AN investigation was launched today after three men died when their helicopter crashed on moorland in bad weather.

Two men in their 30s died at the scene when the Robinson R44 helicopter slammed into moorland at Withnell Moor, between White Coppice and Bolton Road, just after 5pm yesterday.

A third man was taken by air ambulance to the Royal Preston Hospital where he later died.

Police said the private helicopter was flying from Blackpool to Coventry, and a Mayday signal was received at 5pm saying it was in trouble above White Coppice, near Chorley.

It is understood there were two helicopters flying between Blackpool and Coventry but only one arrived at its destination.

Contact with the helicopter was lost, and the Lancashire Police helicopter, the RAF helicopter and Bolton and Bowland Pennine Mountain Rescue Teams were alerted, along with fire and ambulance crews.

Geoff Seddon, Deputy Team Leader for Bolton Mountain Rescue Team, said: "We were called out shortly after 5pm because a helicopter had gone off radar and its position was unknown. It was not responding to radio, so we also called out Bowland Pennine Mountain Rescue Team and Rossendale Search and Rescue Team.

"The actual search area was Belmont but that moved north and west when we got information about the lost helicopter's position, and it was subsequently spotted by the RAF helicopter."

Chief Inspector Ian Cardwell said that relatives had been informed but the men will not be named until they have been formally identified. He said: "It was very misty and the ground at the scene is very boggy and very wet. Because of the weather conditions and the terrain we followed advice from experts not to move the bodies."

The scene was secured and an air exclusion zone was put in place. One of the victims was an employee of Coventry Helicopter Centre, where the doomed aircraft was headed. It is believed that the other two men were also from the Midlands.

Bev Ransom, 49, of Lodge Bank, Brinscall, said: "I saw a lot of police cars going up the road and I just wondered what was going on. Then I saw the Mountain Rescue Team, and a police helicopter was hovering around, so I thought it was something really serious."

Andrew Farron, 28, of School Lane, Brinscall, said: "I was just going to the shop and as I waved to my neighbour I happened to look down the road and saw lots of flashing lights. My neighbour told me there had been a helicopter crash."

A group of children aged 11 and 12 were playing in the area when they said they saw a helicopter in flames come down out of the sky into some woods.

One said: "It was like a giant spinning firework falling to the ground."

Lancashire Police said Blackpool Airport control tower had received a Mayday call from the pilot complaining of bad weather before contact was lost with the aircraft.

Members of Bowland Pennine Mountain Rescue Team stayed at the crash site all night to assist police. The team were due to recover the bodies from the remote crash site early today. The dead have not yet been named.

Air Accident Investigation Branch officials and the Civil Aviation Authority were also due to inspect the scene.

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