The death of an 87-year-old woman “shouldn’t have happened” after she was “knocked over” by a helicopter landing at hospital, a coroner has said.

Jean Langan, a retired civil servant, was thrown backwards by the “downdraft” (rapid change in weather) from the coastguard helicopter as she headed to an appointment at Derriford Hospital in Devon.

Miss Langan, who lived in Plymouth, died from head injuries a few hours later, and the jury at the inquest at Exeter County Hall on Tuesday found her death an accident.

On Wednesday coroner Ian Arrow said he would write a Preventing Future Deaths report to the Department for Transport to create a national database for helipad operations.

In the investigation, it was learned how the Sikorsky helicopter used for search and rescue landed on the hospital’s helipad in March 2022.

The jury was shown landing footage which showed Ms Langan tipping over.

The court heard there are 200 hospital landing sites in the UK and 44 are currently approved by UK Search and Rescue helicopters.

On Wednesday, Derriford Hospital’s future hospital director, Stuart Windsor, said the car park where the incident occurred had been permanently closed to the public.

He said it was now used as an ambulance overflow and all staff using the car park had been trained in “downwashing” to keep themselves and patients safe.

There are guardrails as well as a red flashing light and warning alarm when small helicopters land.

There are also additional security cameras and staff, he added.

The court heard that since the incident, helicopters larger than five tonnes can no longer land at Derriford Hospital and have been forced to land at Bickleigh barracks in Plymouth.

Ground ambulances will then collect patients and transport them to Derriford Hospital for treatment.

Abigail Knill, of the South West Ambulance Service Trust, said the transfer could take almost an hour from the time the patient was collected to being handed over to hospital staff.

In summary, Mr Arrow told Ms Langan’s family: “I hope society improves.

“The day you go to a hospital appointment must be a shocking day.

“It was something that shouldn’t have happened.”