THE PILOT and navigator, who died instantly in a plane crash over Kemp Hill Farm near Haven Street, were cut out using specialist-cutting equipment under the supervision of the Air Accident Investigation Bureau this afternoon (Sunday September 5).
Formal identification of the victims are to be carried out, followed by post mortem examinations to establish the cause of death.
Fire crew using cutting equipment normally used to free trapped car victims slowly cut at the wreckage to free the bodies.
Witnesses have spoken of their horror at seeing the mid air collision yesterday afternoon. A father and son were killed in their four-seater touring aircraft that was in collision with a two-seater sports aircraft.
The planes were taking part in the Merlin Trophy race, part of the Schneider Trophy series of races being held at Bembridge Airport over this weekend.
The four-seater lost a wing and then crashed into the woods below. The light aircraft came down near Stroudwood Lane and Rowlands Lane, near Havenstreet, just after 5pm on Saturday (September 4).
The other aircraft managed to limp back to Bembridge Airport, reportedly making an emergency landing without landing gear, and although both men on board were taken to hospital they escaped without serious injury.
Dog walker Martin Ford called the 999 and helped police find the area but could not see the crash site. He said: “A few people heard a thud, a bang. That’s all they heard.”
This morning inspectors from the AAIB arrived in 4×4′s to start carry out investigations as to how the mid air collision occurred. Police officers spent the night guarding the scene. The remains of the wreckage was covered in a blue tarpaulin guarded by two police officers.
The two people in the first aircraft which made its way to Bembridge airport are a 32 year old man from Ryton in Coventry, and a 55 year old man from Iver in Buckinghamshire. They were initially taken to hospital on the Isle of Wight suffering from minor injuries and were both released last night.
The two people who died in the second plane, a Mooney M20B four seater aircraft, have not yet been formally identified, and this is unlikely to take place today. Hampshire Constabulary’s body recovery team are on scene and recovery is expected to take place at some point today.
Hampshire constabulary is not in a position to be able to formally identify the two people who died in a collision between two light aircraft over the Isle of Wight on Saturday evening, and is unlikely to be able to do this for some time.
However, from initial investigations we can say that the plane that crashed in the woodland near Havenstreet was a Mooney M20B four seater aircraft, registration G-JAST. This aircraft left Bembridge airport with two men on board – Michael Willis, aged 73 from Green Lane, Stanmore, Middlesex, and his son, James Willis, aged 42 from The Dingle, Hillingdon, London. The families of these two men have been informed and are receiving support from Hampshire Constabulary officers.
Police continue to appeal for anyone who witnessed the collision or has any other information to get in touch by calling 101 or, from outside Hampshire on 0845 045 4545.
