MAN DIES IN PLANE CRASH
FAMILY INFORMED OF MAN’S DEATH ‘NO RADIO CALL’ TO AIRFIELD
● John Backhouse, 62, died in the crash on Wednesday, when his small plane came down on the runway of Caernarfon airport
WITNESS TELLS OF HORROR AFTER AIRCRAFT COMES DOWN‘WITH NO LANDING GEAR’
THE family of a pilot killed when a plane crashed and exploded into a fireball at Caernarfon Airport has been informed of his death.
Police confirmed the dead man is not from North Wales, as it emerged he was attempting to make an unscheduled stop at the airfield in Dinas Dinlle on Wednesday evening.
Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB) and CID teams were examining the wreckage on Thursday, with the road leading to the airport closed and guarded by police officers.
Superintendent Nigel Harrison said: “The AAIB are taking primacy for the investigation with local CID officers supporting them.
“We are able to confirm one male from outside of the North Wales area has tragically died; however, he has not yet been formally identified.
“The pilot’s next of kin have been informed and our thoughts are very much with them at this time.”
The man was pronounced dead at the scene after the plane, believed to be a twin-engined Piper PA31 Navajo, came down shortly before 6.30pm.
Built in America, the aircraft can carry 10 people, but the pilot was the only person on board when it crashed. It’s understood he made no radio calls on the airport’s frequency before attempting to land.
The airport, which is used by light aircraft and is a base for the Wales Air Ambulance and Coastguard search and rescue helicopter service, is staffed from 9am until 6pm. Outside these hours the airport is unlicensed and use is only allowed with the permission of the airfield manager.
Witnesses told how the plane exploded into a massive “fireball”.
Mark Hancock, of Dwygyfylchi, was staying at the nearby Morfa Lodge Holiday Park and was walking his dog when he saw the disaster.
The 33-year-old said: “I saw the aircraft didn’t have its wheels down. It was also going very fast.
“It touched down but, because its wheels were up, it did a belly-flop and bounced back into the air.
“It landed again farther down the runway as debris fell off. When it hit the ground again it exploded in a massive fireball.”
An aircraft enthusiast, who asked not to be named, said: “I was walking along the Foryd listening to calls on my airband radio. I heard the sound of an aircraft fly over the town (Caernarfon) but didn’t hear any radio calls.”