Every possible step will be taken to trace the course of the accident De Havilland aircraft company

The two airmen had completed one fly-past in which they amazed 130, 000 spectators by breaking the sound barrier to produce a sonic boom.

But during the second low-level fly-past when the plane was travelling at about 500 miles an hour (804kph) over the aerodrome, its nose lifted and the whole plane disintegrated.

The two engines broke lose and one plunged into a dense crowd watching on a hillside. The other engine fell on open ground but other membrs of the public were injured by parts of the cockpit.

Fire engines and ambulances arrived within minutes and after a short break the air display continued.

Squadron Leader Neville Duke, a close friend of Mr Derry, even flew a Hawker Hunter jet up to a height of 40,000ft (12km) and demonstrated a double sonic boom.

The directors of the De Havilland aircraft company expressed their "profound sorrow" at the tragedy. In a statement they said: "Every possible step will, of couse, be taken to trace the course of the accident."

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