The widow of helicopter pilot Barry Dodd, the Lord Lieutenant for North Yorkshire, said she “will miss him enormously” after he was killed in a helicopter crash.
Frances Dodd confirmed her husband was killed when the aircraft crashed into a field near Aldborough, Boroughbridge, at 1.23pm on Wednesday.
There were no other passengers on board the Bell 206B helicopter, which took off from nearby Husthwaite, and the cause of the accident is not yet known.
Mrs Dodd said:
Barry was a wonderful man. He lived his life according to his values of honesty and integrity.
He was intelligent, compassionate and visionary. He enjoyed great business success but just as important to him was his devotion to public service and helping others.
He was particularly proud to serve as Her Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant for North Yorkshire.
Gathering evidence
North Yorkshire Police said the force is working with the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to establish the cause of the crash.
The AAIB said the helicopter will be taken to a specialist facility in Farnborough, Hampshire, on Friday for a detailed examination.
“Our inspectors have been working on site, speaking to witnesses and gathering other evidence,” a spokesman said.
“We will publish a report on our findings when our investigation has concluded.”
Pilot who died in helicopter crash was Lord Lieutenant of North Yorkshire