1. Thursday, April 23, 2015
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SO TRAGIC
Picture: SONYA DUNCAN
The dreadful moment
much-loved pilot David
Jenkins, right, lost his
life when his light
aircraft crashed next
to an airfield in the
Norfolk countryside
Tributes to wonderful and experienced pilot – coverage, pages 2, 3, 4 & 5

2. 2 Eastern DailyPressThursday, April 23, 2015
Tragedy in Old Buckenham
How the tragedy unfolded in the skies above Norfolk
Warm tributes to a highly-skilled
The aviation community is today
mourning the loss of a champion
aerobatics pilot, who died during a
practice display.
David Jenkins died yesterday after-
noon at Old Buckenham Airfield
when he crashed during a practice
display at a media event to launch
this year’s airshow.
Mr Jenkins, who is believed to be
in his 50s and from west Suffolk, was
one of the Wildcat Aerobatics team
and had arrived after his two
colleagues, performing loops and
turns before moving into a flat spin.
But he failed to recover from the
spin and onlookers watched in horror
as his Edge 360 plane crashed to the
ground less than 100 metres away.
Despite the best efforts of emer-
gency services, who were called just
after 2.40pm, and others who were
there, police confirmed that he died
at the scene.
Tributes have been paid to Mr
Jenkins, who was a two-time British
advanced aerobatics champion and
who has been described as a “true
professional” and “one of the best
pilots around”.
The Wildcats issued a statement on
their website last night which said:
“It is with great sadness that Wildcat
Aerobatics confirm the death of
David Jenkins – ‘Wildcat 3’.
“David was killed during an aero-
batic practice at Old Buckenham
airfield on Wednesday 22 April 2015.
The Air Accidents Investigation
Branch (AAIB) has been informed.”
He was a wonderful
pilot. He was my hangar
neighbour and was
always there for advice
and support
Peter Spencer
Lauren Cope
lauren.cope@archant.co.uk
I David Jenkins, right, with
fellow members of the Wildcat
Aerobatics team, from left,
Willie Cruickshank and Al
Coutts, preparing for a previous
airshow at Old Buckenham.
Picture: SONYA DUNCAN

3. 3Eastern DailyPress Thursday, April 23, 2015
Tragedy in Old Buckenham
I From far left, a
sequence of images
showing how the
tragedy unfolded.
pilot
The statement added: “David
joined Wildcat Aerobatics in 2013, to
bring a new dynamic to our existing
two-ship display by flying his Edge
alongside our two Pitts Specials. We
were honoured to fly alongside him.
“David was highly respected on the
ground and in the air and will be
greatly missed. His family and
friends are very much in our
thoughts, and we ask that you respect
everyone’s privacy at this difficult
time.”
Peter Spencer, secretary of the
Fersfield Flying Group, based in
south Norfolk, said: “He was a
wonderful pilot. I first joined the air
group 22 years ago and he was my
hangar neighbour and he was always
there for advice and support.
“He welcomed me into the group
and he was a good friend.”
Simon Garrett, a pilot who flew out
of the airfield yesterday morning,
said he only found out about the news
when he returned last night.
He said: “We were due to land back
here, but were diverted because of
this emergency. We didn’t know
anybody had died until now.
“It is a terrible tragedy and very
unusual because the teams involved
are highly skilled.
“I knew the gentleman involved
and he was very experienced.”
Matt Wilkins, airfield manager,
said that the incident would be
passed to the Air Accidents
Investigation Branch and the police.
Ambulance, fire crews from
Attleborough, Long Stratton and
Wymondham, police officers and the
air ambulance all attended.
The airfield was cordoned off at
the entrance and the seal was
expected to stay in place overnight.
A file will be prepared and passed
to the coroner.
I Would you like to pay tribute to Mr
Jenkins? Email reporter Lauren Cope
on lauren.cope@archant.co.uk
I Eyewitness reaction – Pages 4-5
Licence was gained after a career in fibre optics
David Jenkins was introduced
to flying when he was just
a teenager hanging around
at Panshangar airfield
near Welwyn Garden City,
according to his profile on the
Wildcat Aerobatics website.
After a career in fibre optics,
he was persuaded to get his
private pilot’s licence by a
work colleague who had his
own licence.
He started flying in 1985 and
has been flying aerobatics
for over 10 years, joining the
Wildcats in 2013. He borrowed
a friend’s aircraft for a couple
of years and started aerobatic
competition until, in 2004,
he bought his first aircraft
– a home-built single-seat
Laser in which he won many
competitions.
In 2009, he sold the Laser and
was able to buy a second-hand
carbon-fibre Edge aircraft
in the US and imported it to
the UK where he has been
competing and displaying with
it.
He rebuilt the aircraft and
maintained it himself.
Since starting competing, he
has been a regular competitor
at UK aerobatics competitions,
winning more than 40 medals
including:
I British advanced national
champion 2012 and 2013.
I British advanced aerobatic
team member at the world
championships 2012.
I British advanced aerobatic
team member at European
championships 2011.
I Swinstead Trophy winner
as leader of the intermediate
annual points table in 2008
and 2009.
I British standard aerobatics
champion 2005.
He has held a Civil
Aviation Authority display
authorisation since 2006. I David Jenkins pictured preparing for a previous Wildcat Aerobatics flight.
Aerobatics team appears across the country
Wildcat Aerobatics is Old
Buckenham’s home-based
display team.
The team, which was formed
in 2010, was established to
promote aerial sport and
provide formation aerobatic
displays to entertain hundreds
of thousands of spectators
every year at shows across the
country.
David Jenkins was part of
the team which included Al
Coutts, who learned to fly in
Swaziland in 1992 and has
since won multiple aerobatic
competitions, and Willie
Cruickshank, a former fast jet
pilot who was one of the last
commanding officers of RAF
Coltishall.
They fly Pitts Special biplanes,
an aircraft which was first
flown in 1944, dominated
world aerobatic competitions
in the 1960s and 1970s, and
is described as still being
one of the world’s leading
high-performance aerobatic
biplanes.
The display fleet is made up of
a pair of iconic Pitts Special
biplanes joined by an Edge
360 high-performance
monoplane.
Wildcat Aerobatics also
provides introductory flights
to people eager to experience
the thrills of flying formation
aerobatics.
The group also performs
at other events, including
wedding functions, and
specialises in creating smoke
patterns across the sky,
including a trademark “Heart
in the Sky” routine.
The team also supports
charities, including
Alzheimer’s Research UK.
I Visit www.wildcataerobatics.
com for more information.

4. 4 Eastern DailyPressThursday, April 23, 2015
Tragedy in Old Buckenham
There was nothing we could do,
say the first couple on the scene
It was supposed to be a day of excite-
ment, a chance to marvel at wartime
aircraft and even enjoy a whirlwind
trip up above the airfield.
The EDP and Mustard TV had been
invited to an airshow press preview,
where the organisers had planned to
reveal an impressive line-up for what
they hoped would be their biggest
and best show to date.
And as the clouds dispersed and
the sun beamed down, the anticipa-
tion was palpable.
A 1940s Staggerwing, vintage
trucks and cars and a nuclear missile
sat just outside the main building as
around 20 spectators crowded outside
to watch the Wildcat Aerobatics team
start their show.
Two-thirds arrived first – as Mr
Coutts and Mr Cruickshank roared
by, spinning and looping, landing on
the runway just metres away.
Fifteen minutes later, the sound of
Mr Jenkins’ Edge 360 came into
earshot.
Spectators peered round, ready for
the next instalment, as he confidently
performed the group’s usual stom-
ach-turning rolls and spins, before
veering off to the left.
It was then he moved into the flat
spin, rotating quickly towards the
ground, an empty area of grassland
less than 50 metres from the crowd.
There were no words of concern –
Mr Jenkins was an incredibly experi-
enced pilot who had performed the
same manoeuvre countless times.
But a plume of thick smoke and a
flash of flames signalled something
had gone terribly wrong – and cries
of “crash” from fellow pilots and
airshow staff confirmed the horror.
They sprang into action – calling
the emergency services and sprinting
to the scene to do what they could, as
the area fell quiet.
A husband and wife, who wished to
remain anonymous, were first to the
crash site. She said: “We feel totally
numb, shocked and upset. I said, ‘It’s
crashed, it’s crashed’, but I didn’t
believe it was happening.
“We drove down because I, proba-
bly stupidly, thought there was some
chance we could help and get him
out. We got down to the plane but it
was just an inferno – the front half
was intact but the back end was
gone.”
The husband bravely battled the
blaze with a small extinguisher from
his car, before emergency services
took over and began attempting to
piece together what had happened.
Back at the centre, there were quiet
murmurs of disbelief and tears from
his friends in the stunned silence.
It was broken by the noise of sirens
and the arrival of the air ambulance,
which hovered overhead, as it
became clear the accident was
fatal.
Spectators remained on scene as
police officers took statements and
attempted to piece together how such
a tragic accident had happened to a
pilot with so many years of experi-
ence behind him.
I Comment – Page 34
We feel totally
numb. I said, ‘It’s
crashed’, but I didn’t
believe it was
happening
Eyewitness
Lauren Cope
lauren.cope@archant.co.uk
I The aftermath of the
crash at Old
Buckenham Airfield.
Picture: SONYA DUNCAN
I Emergency services in attendance at Old Buckenham.

5. 5Eastern DailyPress Thursday, April 23, 2015
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Tragedy in Old Buckenham
I think everyone there was in shock – it was horrible
Journalists who had
been at Old Buckenham
Airfield for a media
launch event have
spoken of their shock
at the tragedy that
unfolded, as Peter Walsh
reports.
Video journalist Mark
Summers was filming
the event for Mustard
TV and caught the
pilot’s tragic last
moments on camera.
The 27-year-old, who
was one of just a
handful of journalists
present at the airshow
launch event, said: “It’s
difficult to say when
he lost control, but it
seemed like he edged
right and then lost a bit
of balance and then his
plane started to spin,
which was a trick but
he just kept falling and
falling and couldn’t get
out of that. There’s a
point where you think
it’s fine, he will pull out
of this, and then you
think he’s got to pull out
of this but he doesn’t –
it’s a shock. It’s really
shocking to see – I felt
really quite sick.”
Mr Summers added:
“For me, one of the
really tragic parts is
that his mates were the
ones who put out the
fire which was caused by
the crash.”
EDP reporter Lauren
Cope, 22, said: “Two of
the Wildcats had already
been up and as we were
talking they said that
David was arriving. He
flew in and started doing
some rolls and loops
before moving over to an
area just to the left.
“He started spinning
downwards, but no-one
thought anything of it.
They are professionals
and up until the very
last minute it all seemed
planned.
“Then we saw the smoke
and someone shouted
‘crash’ and they were
straight on the phone to
the emergency services.
Even then, it didn’t seem
real. It was so shocking
to see. I think everyone
there was in shock – it
was horrible.”
Just four models of the Edge to be found in Europe
The Edge aircraft is US-made and there
are only four of its type in Europe.
It has a 6.4-litre four-cylinder air-cooled
engine which develops 240HP at its
maximum speed of 2700rpm.
This gives the aircraft a power to weight
ratio of 515 HP/ton which is more
than the 205mph (0-60 3.4secs) Porsche
911GT2 RS which “only” has 460 HP/ton.
The aircraft’s maximum speed is 240mph
and the stall speed is 70mph. During
air displays spectators can see it fly at
speeds close to the maximum of
240mph.
The wing is made from carbon fibre and
the fuselage from a welded tubular steel
space frame covered with aluminium
panels and fabric.
The whole aircraft weighs only 1,045lbs
(475kg).
I The Edge, middle, in action with other Wildcat Aerobatics aircraft. Picture: DENISE BRADLEY
The Old Buckenham Airshow
The Old Buckenham Airshow is one of
the biggest of its kind in Norfolk and
Suffolk.
It attracts thousands each year with
its impressive display of aircraft and
vehicles, vintage dance event and
newly-launched food village.
Visitors can also enjoy tank rides,
monster trucks, classic cars and a
funfair.
The world-renowned Spitfire MH434
and Mustang ‘Ferocious Frankie’ both
make appearances at the show and in
2012 aviator and airshow
commentator Brendan O’Brien broke
a world record for the shortest distant
truck top landing recorded.
The former Second World War
base was home to the USAAF 453rd
Bombardment Group, where Major
James Stewart – better known as
Oscar-winner Jimmy Stewart – was
operations officer.
This year, to mark 70 years from the
end of the Second World War, a
special American theme has been
planned.
It hopes to commemorate the 366
servicemen who died while serving at
the airbase.
I Spectators enjoy a previous airshow at Old Buckenham. Picture: ANTONY KELLY