The pilot of a private plane has lost his life after the plane crashed at the Imperial War Museum airfield in Duxford on Wednesday.
The pilot, from the Bedfordshire area, was flying the privately owned General Aviation Cirrus SR22 when it crashed shortly after 1.40pm at Duxford Airfield in Cambridgeshire. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
No one else was on board the plane at the time of the incident and emergency services, including nine fire engines from Cambridgeshire and one from Newmarket, attended the scene.
Police have now passed the investigation over to the Air Accident Investigation Branch, who remain on site at Duxford.
An East of England Ambulance Service spokesman said: ‘We were called at 1.40pm on Tuesday with reports that an aircraft had crashed at Duxford Airfield.
‘Two ambulances, three ambulance officer vehicles, three Hazardous Area Response Team vehicles and the Essex and Herts Air Ambulance attended the scene.
‘Sadly, despite the best efforts of all emergency services involved, a man was pronounced dead at the scene.’
A spokesperson for Imperial War Museums Duxford said: ‘We are sad to report that the pilot, a man in his 50s from the Bedfordshire area, did not survive the crash.
‘Despite the best efforts of medical crews, he was pronounced dead at the scene. Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this incredibly difficult time.
‘Cambridgeshire Police have informed next of kin, who attended the scene of the accident yesterday. The aircraft was a privately-owned General Aviation Cirrus SR22, based at Duxford. There were no other passengers.
‘Police have now passed the investigation over to the Air Accident Investigation Branch, who remain on-site at Duxford.’
It added: ‘IWM Duxford will remain closed to visitors on Wednesday and Thursday. We are expecting to reopen to the public on Friday.’
The emergency services had raced to the scene while witnesses told how they saw emergency workers performing CPR on a person close to the wreckage of a small plane.
Another eyewitness said the air ambulance remained on scene for two hours.
A party of schoolchildren on a trip to the air museum are also believed to have witnessed the crash.
Kate Moore, 62, was at Duxford airfield with her husband when the crash happened.
She said: ‘While we were outside, we heard a bang and turned to see a plume of smoke.
‘We were a long way away and many others there hadn’t an idea anything had occurred. I only saw the crash post-impact.
‘It’s all a rather tragic end to a joyful day seeing the Hurricane and other planes flying after their winter maintenance.’
An AAIB spokesperson said: ‘A multi-disciplinary team of AAIB inspectors has deployed to Duxford, Cambridgeshire, to begin investigating an accident involving a light aircraft.’
