This is wrong, it was not a chipmunk.

ZA

Now the unfortunate pilot has been named, can the type of aircraft be revealed?

I undertsand it was a visiting Eagle though unsure which model.

Sadly I did know the pilot and had flown with him previously. It is a very sad time for everyone involved and would be wrong for me to write anything further on this forum until the official investigators have reported.

Are thoughts go to the second man involved and hope he pulls through.

Has there been any clarification as to what, exactly, the position of the tractor was?

Was it within the airfield perimeter or in an adjacent field?

To one side of the runway or on the extended centreline, before the threshold?

FBW

I am shocked and saddened by this news; I flew with Ian a couple of times in his Brantley. My thoughts go out to his family and friends.

RIP Ian

Whirls

Is what one sees in the photograph the threshold of runway 06? If so (and looking at it in Google Earth ) - a line of trees divides the field until a few yards before the threshold. If the tractor was crossing from one side of the field to the other it would need to pass near (or on) the runway threshold?

Because of the trees the pilot may not have seen the tractor until the last moment and vice versa.

who was PIC . . . . . . . ?
 

Interestingly, the article in the Mail-Online refers to Mr Davies as a passenger. The survivor is also referred to as a passenger. Are we just assuming that Mr Davies was PIC ? Could the other person have been a pilot too ?

The answer is Yes.

Quite a few of us on the Forum know the two pilots in this accident. I don't think it helps to have lots of speculation about who was flying and who was a passenger. Suffice it to say, they were both experienced pilots.

The aircraft was an Eagle not an Auster or a Chipmunk. I only say this because speculation about the wrong type may be causing unnecessary concern

Seething is an easy airfield to land at. It seems something went horribly wrong and they collided with this tractor, the location is clear from the press photographs.

I don't think further speculation will help and it could be considered intrusive, so please wait until information is released officially.

ZA

There is quite a bit of coverage on tonights BBC TV.
There is some speculation/discussion that the visibilty from the rear seat is not good coming in to land and that the tractor may have been obscured by the hedge.
I knew the pilot from his connection with the Red Sparrows,a Chipmunk four plane formation team,and have flown as a passenger in one of the other Chippies on their way to display at Duxford.
He was a really decent chap and we bumped into each other at various local airfields.
Can't say much more ,except I feel a bit choked at the moment.
We must now wait for the official reports and hope the other chap will be OK.
Lister

A sad loss. Ian helped us in the past with some formation coaching. A very helpful and friendly person.

It was a real shock to hear who was involved in this accident.

I flew with him when he did an 'Aircraft owners ' article on our arrow which appeared in Pilot Mag Sept 2005.

Kind unassuming and generous and a skilful pilot.

I have no doubt he will be sadly missed.

Cusco

Just got back from two days away to read this. Terrible news. Ian was a regular contributer here under the name of 'Formationfoto'.

Condolences to his family and his close friends from here to, I am really sorry for you guys.

Let's hope the other guy pulls through.

R.I.P. Ian.

BBC report and video clip

Pilot magazine tribute

I was one of a number of people who crossed swords with Ian when Archent took over Pilot. Something he dealt with with considerable equanimity at the time and which was probably never acknowledged with hindsight - at least by me - and something I suspect he addressed to allay the concerns of Pilot aficionados. I am again a regular reader.

I never apologised; I regret that I cannot do so now.

A good bloke.

Sadness brings people together. It s only a small thing but it's something. RIP

Has the other person onboard been identified yet?

Ian Davies died doing what he loved best - flying. All the team at Pilot feel his loss deeply and will miss him. The news came as we were going to press with our December issue, which has an Ian Davies article in it (on turboprops). We will be running an obituary in the January issue and welcome letter about Ian if anyone cares to send them to the magazine. - Nick Bloom, Editor.

A more detailed report is in todays Eastern Evening News 24
A very sad day.

I wonder if he was teaching? Met him a few times, aviation is a small world. A very pleasant man who was passionate about aviation.

The winter sun is terrible for in flight viz later in the afternoon on approach and in an aircraft with restricted viz could have made it difficult to see the tractor. Easy enough to catch even a highly experienced aviator.