An inquest has been opened into the death of a pilot who died in a crash at the Imperial War Museum’s airfield at Duxford.  

Simon Riggs, 58, was attempting to take off from the runway but was unable to complete the manoeuvre and collided into the ground.  

He was the only person travelling in the light aircraft at the time of the incident, which happened on March 26.  

Caroline Jones, an area coroner for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, opened an inquest into Mr Riggs’ death yesterday (Thursday).  

At the hearing held at Lawrence Court, Huntingdon, she said: “The brief circumstances as they were reported to my office by the police are that Mr Riggs was the single occupant pilot of a 2023-built Cirrus single propeller four-seater privately owned airplane.  

“For reasons yet to be established, the pilot was attempting to take off but was unable to successfully complete the manoeuvre and collided with the ground at approximately 200 metres to the right of the asphalt runway.  

“Airport fire crews, local fire crews and emergency services were dispatched but unfortunately the pilot was pronounced deceased at the scene at 1426 hrs.” 

The coroner added reports from a post mortem examination are “currently ascertained and pending further examination and investigations”.  

She said: “Given that the preliminary enquiries with the police and my office are ongoing, I adjourn that matter to a further date to be fixed for a further hearing.” 

Media reports at the time said Mr Riggs was from Bedfordshire. 

Following the crash, the UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) deployed a “multi-disciplinary team” of inspectors to the scene.  

Their investigation is ongoing.  

The AAIB investigates civil aircraft accidents and serious incidents within the UK, its overseas territories and crown dependencies.