Somerset crash deaths coroner criticises ground staff

The death of a pilot whose aircraft crashed in poor weather has been ruled as misadventure by a coroner.

Ground staff were also criticised by the coroner for a lack of communication, information and finding him a suitable emergency landing site.

Jonathan Mann, who was not qualified to fly in cloud, lost control of the plane and he and passenger Margaret Costa both died in the crash in Somerset.

Mr Mann made an emergency distress call before it happened, the inquest heard.

In the call, in August 2021, he said he was above the clouds and unable to descend.

The coroner recorded a conclusion of accidental death for Mrs Costa, of Lancercombe, Sidmouth.

The Mudry Cap 10B plane crashed into a tree on farmland, near the village of Buckland St Mary at about 09:15 BST, having originally taken off at about 07:00.

Mr Mann, 69 and 74-year-old Mrs Costa had been flying to the Isles of Scilly, but just an hour into the flight deteriorating weather conditions led Mr Mann to decide to return to base at Yarcombe.

At the inquest in Wells, senior Somerset coroner Samantha Marsh said: "Mr Mann appears to have become spatially disorientated, and this resulted in a high-energy impact collision with a large oak tree at Colley farm, Buckland St Mary, near Chard.

"It appears there was a lack of appropriate identification of those in control and inadequate communication about the suitability of Exeter as a landing option.

"No consideration was given to the fact that there was sufficient fuel to travel further to a more suitable landing place."

An Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB) inquiry earlier concluded father of four Mr Mann "was not trained or qualified to operate in poor weather".

It said when Mr Mann found himself stuck above cloud he asked for help in finding an appropriate aerodrome to land but said the "level of Air Traffic Control (ATC) support from the Distress and Diversion (D&D) Cell and Exeter Air Traffic Control was not sufficient to provide the assistance required by the pilot, who was in a state of distress".

Ms Marsh noted Mr Mann, a retired union official of Tipton St John, Devon, had 21 years' flying experience, held a valid pilot's licence and flown to the Scilly isles many times.

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