Air crash victim feared he would burn to death
AMICROLIGHT passenger, trapped in the crashed craft’s blazing wreckage, has been awarded £100,000 for the catalogue of serious injuries he sustained.
Michael Foreman feared he would burn to death in the horrific accident near Shifnal, Shropshire.
The 55-year-old survived, but at a cost. Mr Foreman’s wounds became infected during his two weeks stay in hospital and he had to undergo operations on his feet. Metal wires were inserted in a big toe.
The crash victim also suffered lacerations to his head, a neck injury and fractures to his breast bone and a vertebra in his back.
At London’s High Court, Mr Foreman was awarded £42,500 for his “pain, suffering and loss of amenity” and other sums to compensate care, travel costs and lost earnings. His total payout came to £99,449 and pilot Graham Williams was ordered to pay the legal costs of the case.
Disaster loomed at 200 feet, the court heard. The engine faltered and the microlight began to nosedive to the ground below.
Mr Foreman, from Telford, had been invited by Mr Williams, a friend, to take a flight with him at the Wrekin Microlight Flying Club, based at Shifnal Airport on July 5, 2015.
Judge Peter Marquand told the High Court : “Four circuits of the airfield took place uneventfully, but on the fifth circuit, shortly after take-off, there was apparently a problem with the engine.
“From a height of about 200 feet, the aircraft started to drift and then plunged near vertically to the ground. The aircraft caught fire and, fortunately, both Mr Foreman and Mr Williams survived, albeit with significant injuries”.
In court, Mr Foreman said “he thought he was dead”. He regained consciousness – only to realise he was trapped in the mangled, burning wreckage.
The judge said: “He thought he would burn to death, but was rescued by a pilot who had seen the accident, as was Mr Williams,” said the judge.
Giving his ruling in the case, Judge Marquand described Mr Foreman as an honest witness who had done his best to get back to work after the accident.
Now he is “very tired” after a normal day’s work and his wife has to rub cream into his feet when he gets home.
The injuries have hit Mr Foreman’s confidence, he finds life more chal- lenging “and he feels like an person”, the judge added.
Mr Williams did not put in a defence to the claim and judgment was entered against him in February this year.
The judge said the microlight pilot “has not taken part in these proceedings in any meaningful way”.
The crash, at 10.45 on a Sunday morning, made national headlines, with stories focusing on the unnamed hero who rescued the two men.
An onlooker rang 999 while running to the burning wreckage and used a fire extinguisher to tame the flames. He first hauled Mr Foreman to safety, then emptied the extinguisher’s contents into the burning cockpit.
Firefighters cut Mr Williams free from the tangled metal. He was airlifted to hospital with a broken leg, arm and ankle and dislocated shoulder. older