Fatal plane crash prompts safety recommendations

Pilot Simon Riggs was described by his family as a "much-loved husband, father and friend"

Safety warnings have been issued following an investigation into the death of a pilot at a well-known airfield.

The pilot, named by friends and colleagues as Simon Riggs, crashed at Imperial War Museum Duxford, Cambridgeshire, on 26 March just after 13:30 GMT.

Mr Riggs, 58, from Bedfordshire, was pronounced dead at the scene.

A report by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) found that he lost control of the Cirrus SR22T aircraft after it bounced while touching down. It said warnings and information on the aircraft's parachute system should be given.

The report detailed how the pilot had planned to "touch and go" after a third circuit at Duxford, where the landing gear comes into contact with the ground before the plane takes off again.

Two of these landings had taken place without incident until the third landing, when the plane was seen to have bounced.

Mr Riggs then applied full power but lost control of the aircraft, which turned left and stalled during the turn, before striking the ground.

'Warn and protect'

The aircraft's ballistic parachute system, where a parachute is ejected with a small rocket, was deployed during the impact.

The report, which did not name Mr Riggs, said the pilot held a private licence and had 115 hours of flying experience.

It said he was "still consolidating his skills and vulnerable to being overwhelmed by unexpected events", but added that similar accidents had happened with more experienced pilots and with instructors on board.

The AAIB made two safety recommendations in the document to "warn and protect people" unfamiliar with the aircraft's emergency rescue systems.

It recommended "conspicuous, unambiguous" markings on Cirrus SR20 and SR22 aircraft to provide warnings and information on its parachute system.

It also said other aircraft types could be affected and made the same recommendation for all CS-23 certified aircraft with an installed ballistic parachute recovery system.

Mr Riggs was described by family as a "much-loved husband, father and friend".