A vintage British Spitfire arrives at Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England, in May 2018. Britain’s Royal Air Force will ground a fleet of World War II-era aircraft following a deadly crash of one of its Spitfire fighters, the warplane famous for resisting the German Luftwaffe in the 1940 Battle of Britain. (Matthew Plew/U.S. Air Force)
Britain’s Royal Air Force will ground a fleet of World War II-era aircraft following a deadly crash of one of its Spitfire fighters, the warplane famous for resisting the German Luftwaffe in the 1940 Battle of Britain.
A Spitfire flown by squadron leader Mark Long crashed in the English town of Coningsby on Saturday afternoon, according to British officials. The plane was preparing for a flyover when it went down. Although emergency rescuers responded quickly, Long’s injuries were deemed not survivable and he was declared deceased at the crash site.
The cause is under investigation, the British Royal Air Force said in a statement Monday, adding that it “will not be offering any comment on the accident until that investigation has concluded, and likewise, we ask others not to speculate.”
The air force will also impose “a temporary pause in flying for the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight,” according to a British Defense Ministry statement.
The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight is an air force unit tasked with maintaining World War II-era aircraft such as the Spitfire in “airworthy condition.” The planes usually fly in ceremonies between May and September. The unit had six Spitfires, two Hurricanes, a Lancaster bomber, a C-47 Dakota and two Chipmunk aircraft in its fleet.
The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight’s Visitors Center will remain closed, officials said.
Spitfires and Hurricanes were the primary fighters that resisted the German Luftwaffe’s Messerschmitt Bf 109E fighters during the 1940 Battle of Britain. They performed admirably even though the German warplanes could outclimb and outgun their British counterparts. The Spitfires were the most-produced aircraft by Britain in the Second World War, with more than 20,000 manufactured.
Long had been serving as a pilot for the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight for the last four years, said Robbie Lees, a group captain in the British Royal Air Force. “A great friend, colleague, and a passionate, professional aviator he will be sorely missed,” Lees added.
The Prince and Princess of Wales said they were sad to hear of the crash. “Our thoughts this evening are with the pilot’s loved ones, the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, and the wider RAF family,” they wrote in a social media statement. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak described the news as awful and tragic.
