A hearing over legal action for access to voice recorder data from accident investigators following a fatal helicopter crash is to be held.
Four people – three men and a woman – died when a Super Puma crashed off Shetland in 2013.
Sarah Darnley, from Elgin, Gary McCrossan, from Inverness, Duncan Munro, from Bishop Auckland, and George Allison, from Winchester, all lost their lives.
The lord advocate is seeking an order for disclosure of the voice recorder data recorder under the Civil Aviation (Investigation of Air Accidents and Incidents) Regulations 1996.
A hearing is expected to start on May 19.
A Crown Office spokesman said: “Following the helicopter crash off Sumburgh on 23 August 2013 in which four people died, Crown Office commenced its investigation into the cause of the deaths.
“As part of that investigation Crown Counsel instructed that a petition be lodged at the Court of Session with the aim of recovering material held by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch.
“The process by which such material can be recovered is set out in statute. A hearing has now been fixed to commence on 19 May.
“The nearest relatives have been updated regarding this development. As this is a live investigation it is not appropriate to comment further.”
A total of 18 people were on board when the Super Puma crashed on its approach to Sumburgh.
Section 18 of the regulations covers disclosure of relevant records.
The Crown can act if it believes the evidence could be in the public interest.
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