There are only a few dozen flyable Spitfires remaining, six of which are based at RAF Coningsby.
London:
The Royal Air Force has stopped flying its World War II-era Spitfire aircraft after a weekend crash killed a pilot, officials said Monday.
The announcement raises the question of whether the legendary single-seat fighter jet will take part in next month’s commemorations of the 80th anniversary of the Normandy landings.
Pilot Mark Long was killed when a Spitfire aircraft belonging to the Battle of Britain Memorial Squadron crashed near RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire, eastern England, on Saturday.
“Following the tragic accident at RAF Coningsby, the RAF has decided to temporarily suspend the Battle of Britain commemorative flight whilst a formal investigation is ongoing,” an RAF spokesman said.
The Battle of Britain Memorial Squadron (BBMF) is a collection of wartime fighter and bomber aircraft which take part in airshows and commemorative displays.
There are only a few dozen flyable Spitfires remaining, six of which are based at RAF Coningsby.
They were due to take part in a national commemoration in Portsmouth on June 5 to mark 80 years since Allied forces landed on the beaches of Normandy in northern France and turned the tide of World War II away from Nazi Germany.
It is unclear when the RAF’s investigation will be completed and when a decision will be made on whether the vintage aircraft will be able to fly again.
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