Pilot David Jenkins Was Fatally Injured During Performance In Edge 360 Airplane

The U.K.'s Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB) has opened a query into an accident which occurred last Wednesday at the opening of the Old Buckenham Airshow in Norfolk in the eastern portion of England.

Jenkins apparently lost control of his Edge 360 airplane during his performance on the opening day of the show. The U.K. newspaper The Guardian reports that those watching the performance thought the accident sequence was part of the routine until they saw smoke rising from the ground and realized the airplane had impacted terrain.

Jenkins was named British advance aerobatics champion in 2012 and 2013, and a member of the Wildcat Aerobatics display team at Old Buckenham airfield near Attleborough. He was described by friends as "highly skilled." He had won more than 40 medals in aerobatics competitions.

Jenkins had purchased the Edge 360 in 2009 according to his profile on the Wildcat's website. He had begun flying as a teenager, and flew mostly straight and level for 15 years before getting into aerobatics about 10 years ago.

FMI: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/air-accidents-investigation-branch