disaster in Coventry
Posted: Sat May 31, 2003 5:19 pmA pilot has been seriously injured when a plane crashed shortly after take-off during an air show, police said.
The incident happened at the Coventry Classic Airshow in front of crowds of onlookers, Warwickshire Police said.
Eye witness Paul Middleton, 37, of Colchester, Essex, described how he saw the aircraft, a replica of a 1920s model, "disintegrate" before plummeting to the ground.
The aircraft was a replica of the Spirit of St Louis in which Charles Lindbergh made the first non-stop solo flight from New York to Paris in 1927.
Mr Middleton, who was attending the event, described the scene.
"It was taking off and it just got level by the edge of the airfield at about 1,000ft when it just broke up into pieces. It looked like structural failure.
"The structure just seemed to give way and disintegrate.
"The whole wing folded upwards and as that happened the whole aircraft came falling down.
"People just started saying 'oh my God' and then they went silent. Everyone was just standing around."
Inspector Rob Calvert, of Warwickshire Police, said ambulance crew were tending to the injured pilot at the scene. The incident took place shortly before 5pm.
The incident happened at the Coventry Classic Airshow in front of crowds of onlookers, Warwickshire Police said.
Eye witness Paul Middleton, 37, of Colchester, Essex, described how he saw the aircraft, a replica of a 1920s model, "disintegrate" before plummeting to the ground.
The aircraft was a replica of the Spirit of St Louis in which Charles Lindbergh made the first non-stop solo flight from New York to Paris in 1927.
Mr Middleton, who was attending the event, described the scene.
"It was taking off and it just got level by the edge of the airfield at about 1,000ft when it just broke up into pieces. It looked like structural failure.
"The structure just seemed to give way and disintegrate.
"The whole wing folded upwards and as that happened the whole aircraft came falling down.
"People just started saying 'oh my God' and then they went silent. Everyone was just standing around."
Inspector Rob Calvert, of Warwickshire Police, said ambulance crew were tending to the injured pilot at the scene. The incident took place shortly before 5pm.
