Parachutists 'could have jumped'

The plane landed with its nose buried in the ground

Three parachutists could have jumped to safety before a plane crashed in Devon, an inquest has been told.

The Cessna, operated by the Devon and Somerset parachuting school, crashed in June 2004, killing four people.

Pilot Paul Norman, 52, from Wiltshire. Richard Smith, 42, his daughter Claire, 17, and Royal Marine officer Major Mike Wills, were killed.

The plane crashed seven minutes after take off at Dunkerswell airfield. Two people survived the crash.

The inquest heard the Cessna had five parachutists and the pilot on board when it took off.

Tandem jump

It had enough height for three solo parachutists to jump and land safely but there was not enough height for two to jump in tandem, the inquest heard.

Major Wills, 44 from Cove, near Tiverton in Devon, a top parachutist with 5,900 logged jumps to his name, was due to jump in tandem with schoolboy Daniel Greening, who was 16 at the time of the crash.

Daniel, from Kingsteignton, Devon, was seriously injured but survived, as did another parachutist, Dan Bachelor, then 23, from Taunton in Somerset.

The AAIB report into the crash said there was "no conclusive cause" of engine power loss, but added the parachutists were neither seated nor restrained.

The inquest, at County Hall in Exeter, continues.