Plane crashed into Oxfordshire apartment block after canopy 'exploded'

The plane crashed into a newly built apartment block in Upper Heyford

The canopy of a plane broke up without warning before crashing into a block of flats, a report has concluded.

The pilot had been carrying out acrobatic manoeuvres in the skies over north Oxfordshire in April 2022 before the cover of his cockpit "exploded".

The pilot, who lost his glasses and was unable to see, was forced to use his parachute to bail from the plane.

The aircraft descended to the ground, crashing into a newly-built unoccupied apartment block in Upper Heyford.

No-one on the ground was injured but the pilot is now blind in his right eye following the incident.

An investigation by AAIB identified a "lack of bonding between the inner and outer canopy frame around the front of the canopy", which caused increased pressure, leading to cracks in the cover.

Safety recommendations have been made to the plane's German manufacturer, EXTRA Aircraft.

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