Aircraft crash: Inquest told microlight was 'unusually slow'
A microlight aircraft was seen flying “unusually” slowly before it entered a nosedive and crashed in Shifnal, killing two Market Drayton men, an inquest heard today.
Tony Crocombe and Lawrence Michael Sumner, who had both served in the RAF, died when the aircraft they were flying in crashed on May 30 last year.
The inquest, being held in front of a jury, opened at Shirehall in Shrewsbury today.
This morning the jury was shown a video of the aircraft before it took off from the Longford airstrip in Market Drayton.
The jury was also shown footage taken inside the aircraft while in flight, with Mr Crocombe as the pilot.
The inquest heard that several members of Wrekin Microlight Flying Club had seen the aircraft leading up to the crash, which happened near to its base at Shifnal Airfield.
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Flying club members raced towards the microlight when they realised it was going to hit the ground, the hearing was told.
Steven Bishop, who is a member of the club, said he thought the microlight had been attempting to land before it crashed.
He said the aircraft had “stalled” twice, causing a wing to drop, adding: “I could tell it was flying too slow.”
In a statement, another club member Stephen Ingram said he could tell the aircraft was flying “unusually slow”.
He told the inquest: “I could see it looked like it was flying quite slow.
“It then tried to do a turn which I thought was a bit dangerous at that point.”
Another member of the flying club said he had heard the engine “cut out” at one point.
Mr Crocombe, 64, of Kiln Bank Crescent, Market Drayton, and Mr Sumner, 66, also of Market Drayton, died when the aircraft crashed on May 30 last year.
Both men suffered multiple injuries.
Mr Crocombe, who was born in Lancaster, was an aircraft engineer and the owner of the microlight.
The inquest continues.
