Crash plane has links to RAF Cosford
A Tiger Moth biplane which crashed during take-off at a Berkshire airfield has links with RAF Cosford, it has been revealed.
A woman had to be airlifted to hospital after being injured when the plane crashed into parked cars.
The former RAF plane was leaving a runway at the private Brimpton Airfield, near Reading, when it came down shortly after becoming airborne at about 3pm on Sunday.
A female spectator in her 60s was injured and was taken to the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxfordshire by air ambulance – the very charity the event was raising funds for. The two pilots, both men also in their 60s, managed to get out of the plane with minor injuries. Public records from June 2005 show the plane was 'privately owned' and being kept at RAF Cosford. But Stacey Mellor, spokeswoman for the air base, said it had no provision to store privately owned planes.
She said it could have been kept at RAF Cosford Museum on the site – but no-one was available for comment to confirm or deny it had been there.
Eugene Johnson, a member of Brimpton Flying Club and retired fire officer, donned a fire-suit and helped tackle a small fuel leak from the plane. Mr Johnson said about 100 spectators were at the event. He said: "Everybody is really disappointed because we got to a lot of lengths to make it a pleasurable and fun event.
"People walk around the planes but they are always accompanied and we take safety really seriously.
"There is no display, it is just planes taking off and landing, so we are very disappointed, particularly as this is for a good cause." Police, paramedics and the fire service were all called to help with the incident. Chris Wheeler, social secretary for Brimpton Flying Club, said: "We are not yet aware of the cause but the aircraft had an accident on take-off and collided with two cars."
An investigation by the Air Accident Investigation Branch is being carried out.
