RAF Mourns Loss of One of Its Own, Squadron Leader Mark Long

A tragic crash involving a Royal Air Force Spitfire has led to the grounding of the fleet for the time being.

The accident took place on Saturday, May 25th, during an early afternoon flight using a Battle of Britain Memorial Flight aircraft. So far, not too much has been released regarding the accident, which involved only the single aircraft, and ended in a field near Coningsby. Investigations are, of course, underway to figure out the cause, but single-pilot, single-aircraft accidents don't often stem from an exotic, extreme accident chain. This one may break that pattern, though: Friends and retired personnel of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight have nothing but praise for the outfit, in everything from the standards of its inductees to the tip-top shape of its heritage aircraft.

As proof of those high standards, some point to the fact that the recent incident is the first fatality involving one of the Flight's aircraft since the unit was created in July 1957.

 The crash claimed one life, that of the pilot in command, Squadron Leader Mark Long. He was a Typhoon pilot with the Royal Air Force before getting a slot with the Memorial Flight, where he's been flying the last 4 years. Prior to the incident, the BBMF had 6 original Spitfires left, which fly alongside a dozen airworthy Hurricanes. The unit is staffed as a regular RAF unit, funded by the UK's Ministry of Defense.

Aviation Heritage UK Chairman Allan Winn echoed the sentiments of the global warbird community while speaking with the BBC, saying "The loss of a pilot and a historic airframe is a terrible thing. Our thoughts go out to his family and teammates. BBMF is a very close knit organisation."

FMI: www.raf.mod.uk