Fighter plane collision at Duxford show investigated

An inquiry has begun after two classic US fighter planes collided during an air display show in Cambridgeshire.

One of the planes, thought to be a P-51 Mustang, plummeted to the ground after their wings touched, forcing the pilot to parachute to safety.

The pilot of the other plane, a Skyraider, went on to land safely, after the military aircraft took to the air during the Flying Legends show.

No-one was injured in the accident during the show, near Duxford.

Mark Brown, a pilot from Warminster who was watching the show, said he saw a "large chunk" of the Skyraider's wing tip tear off in the collision.

'Fall from sky'

"It went into a bit of a dive then sorted itself out," he said. "The other aircraft dived away from the airfield. They were only about 100 feet up at this point.

"Then we saw someone jump out and a parachute open."

The P-51 Mustang hit the ground to the south-west of the Imperial War Museum at Duxford following the collision which is understood to have happened as three planes took part in formation manoeuvres.

One eyewitness said one of the planes seemed to "fall out of the sky".

"It seemed to be missing a bit of its wings," the witness said.

A spokesman for the organisers, the Imperial War Museum at Duxford, confirmed that both pilots were treated by paramedics at the scene.

"The cause of the incident will now be investigated by the Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB) and the museum is therefore not able to comment on the likely cause," he said.

The AAIB said it had been made aware of the crash and a team will be investigating.