Sunday Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Top Gun died in plane with dodgy engine
A TOP RAF test pilot crashed and died in a plane whose engine had never been overhauled in its 24-year history.
Seatbelts in the Russian Yak-52 were probably original and should have been replaced four years ago, an Air Accident Investigations Branch probe has found.
Flight Lieutenant Alex Parr, 40, was thrown from the cockpit and killed instantly at Boscombe Down, Wiltshire, last July.
Dad-of-three Flt Lt Parr made a Mayday call when the plane began to stall soon after take-off.
The inquiry added that a second pilot, who survived the crash, was inadequately prepared, having only logged an hour in the aircraft in the previous year.