An experienced pilot and mother of four has been named as the woman killed when her light aircraft crashed in a field near Dunkeswell Aerodrome in Devon, marking the fourth death at or around the site in just over 12 months.
Nicola Wright, 44, died at the scene after the plane went down shortly after 10am last Friday, Devon and Cornwall Police confirmed. The crash, witnessed by horrified onlookers, is now under investigation by the Air Accident Investigation Branch.
“Nicola Wright, 44, died in a Devon plane crash, the fourth death at the airfield in 12 months.”
Wright, who co-founded the Weymouth-based medical equipment company Medisave with her partner Graham, was described by friends and family as a ‘clever and adventurous’ pilot. Last year she completed a 180 nautical-mile cross-country flight from Oaksey Park to Dunkeswell. She was also an experienced aerobatic pilot, skydiver and mountain climber.
Tributes have poured in for the ‘lovely lady’. One person wrote: “So very sad and shocking to hear. What a lovely lady. Sending lots of love and strength to Graham and their children.” Another said: “I am so saddened to hear this news and thinking of Graham, the children, wider family and everyone at Medisave at this time, who will all be devastated.”
Superintendent Jo Arundale of Devon and Cornwall Police appealed for anyone with footage of the incident to contact police rather than posting it online. “We will be working closely with the Air Accident Investigation Branch to thoroughly investigate the circumstances surrounding the crash,” she said. “We recognise it is a very sad incident and we are appealing to the public not to speculate regarding the crash.”
The AAIB confirmed an investigation has been launched. Anyone with information or relevant video footage is asked to call police on 101 quoting log 268 of 26 June.