Waddesdon air crash: Three Britons and one Vietnamese man killed in mid-air collision between plane and helicopter

Martin Coulter19 November 2017

Three Britons and one Vietnamese national were killed in a mid-air collision between a helicopter and plane in Buckinghamshire, police said.

Officers, military personnel and air accident experts remained at the scene of the wreckage in woodland near Waddesdon, on Sunday as families waited to formally identify their loved ones.

The bodies of all four men have been recovered from the scene and post-mortem examinations will begin on Sunday and take several days, Thames Valley Police said.

Superintendent Rebecca Mears said three of the families visited the site on Saturday, just a day after the accident which happened at around midday on Friday.

Police at the scene near Waddesdon, in Buckinghamshire
PA Wire/PA Images

She said: "Our thoughts remain with the families of the men who have tragically lost their lives.

"Specially-trained family liaison officers are continuing to offer their support to the families of the victims affected, three of whom we understand to be British nationals, one of whom is a Vietnamese national.

"Work will today focus on removing the aircraft from the scene which will be done with specialist support."

Police have not confirmed the identities of the victims but colleagues named one pilot as Captain Mike Green, who died alongside his young student when their helicopter collided with the light aircraft.

Captain Mike Green is reported to have died in Friday's crash
Helicopter services

Mr Green was a senior instructor with Helicopter Services, a firm which offers training flights and gift experiences from its base at Wycombe Air Park.

The company said on Facebook: "We have received many messages of support and kind words about our friend who, as a senior instructor and examiner, helped and mentored so many pilots throughout the industry during his distinguished career.

"It was an honour to work with you. Captain Green, you will be greatly missed."

Captain Phil Croucher, who had known Mr Green for around 20 years after they had served in the Army together, said his death was a "sad loss".

An aerial view of the wreckage
Sky News

The head of training at the Caledonian Advanced Pilot Training Ground School also said he believed the crash was an accident and no negligence was involved.

Mr Croucher, 65, said Mr Green, also thought to be in his 60s, was on a training flight with a young student.

"It's a sad loss. We have lost somebody with a vast amount of experience that could have been passed on to younger people, apart from him being a nice guy generally.

"He's gone through no fault of his own and everyone's lost a good friend and mentor."

The aircraft crashed on the Waddesdon Estate, the former country seat of the Rothschild banking dynasty.

The collision happened at 12.06pm and both aircraft, carrying two passengers each, are believed to have come from the Wycombe airstrip, also known as Booker Airfield, which is about 20 miles from the crash site.

The plane involved was a Cessna 152 built in 1982 and owned by Airways Aero Associations, which is based at the Wycombe Air Park.

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