A pilot has died after a Spitfire crashed in a field close to an RAF station in Lincolnshire, officials said.  Emergency services were called to the field off Langrick Road, Coningsby shortly before 13:20 BST on Saturday. 

The World War Two-era plane belonged to the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight based at RAF Coningsby, the RAF said.  It said a "comprehensive investigation" would be completed and it would not speculate on the cause of the crash.  The RAF statement reads: "It is with great sadness that we must confirm the death of an RAF pilot in a tragic accident near RAF Coningsby today.  "The pilot's family have been informed and we ask that their privacy is respected at this difficult time." 

Earlier, Lincolnshire Police said the aircraft came down in a field off Langrick Road, which runs alongside the perimeter of the RAF station.  

RAF Coningsby is the home of the RAF's Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, external (BBMF).  According to its website, BBMF operates six Spitfires, two Hurricanes, a Lancaster, a C47 Dakota, and two Chipmunk aircraft used for training. The aircraft are flown by regular RAF aircrew.

Full article:

BBC News

Very sad news. 😥

Very sad indeed. On a note about those old planes, I forget the exact number but it was in the thousands of young men died in training accidents in WWII. Those powerful birds were a hand full.

The pilot has been named by the RAF as Sqn Ldr Mark Long.
 

From the BBC:

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Leading the tributes, Gp Capt Robbie Lees, commander of the RAF's Display Air Wing, said: "Mark was a Typhoon pilot here at RAF Coningsby and for the last four years he has been a pilot with the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight. 

"A great friend, colleague, and a passionate, professional aviator he will be sorely missed by all that knew him."

Gp Capt Lees said an investigation into the cause of the "tragic event" was now under way.

According to Wally Epton, a retired RAF squadron leader and chairman of the Historic Aircraft Association (HAA), this was the first fatality involving a BBMF aircraft since its creation in July 1957.

 

 

Very sad 😞

Rest in Peace ....

Unsurprisingly, the BBMF has temporarily grounded it's aircraft, which means a flypast today (Monday) was cancelled, as is a D Day memorial flypast over Portsmouth on 5th June.

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As a salute to the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight’s Sqn Ldr Mark Long who lost his life in a flying accident on May 25, 2024 the BBMF’s Spitfire Mk.XVI TE311 has received some new markings.

On its starboard side, TE311 now wears the fictitious squadron code ‘L-NG’, with the name Sqn Ldr Mark Long annotated under the cockpit. The port side continues to represent 322 (Dutch) Squadron, with nose art showing the unit’s parrot mascot. In memory of Sqn Ldr Long, a Just Giving page has been set up to support his family and their wish to set up a Flying Scholarship for disabled individuals: https://bit.ly/Spitfire-Long

Source: Key.Aero