Inquest into death of teenage air cadet 13.02.12
21An inquest has taken place today into the deaths of a teenage air cadet and his instructor who were killed in an air crash. Nicholas Langley-Rice, 15, was on board an RAF training aircraft when it collided in mid-air with a glider. He died alongside RAF reservist Flight Lieutenant Mike Blee, 62, on 14th June 2009, in Drayton, Abingdon, Oxfordshire. The two-seater Tutor plane had taken off from RAF Benson in Oxfordshire on an air experience flight with the pilot and the Combined Cadet Force cadet on board when the incident occurred. The pilot of the glider, Henry Freeborn, from Lee-on-the-Solent in Hampshire, managed to parachute from his stricken aircraft and landed safely in fields in Sutton Courtenay, near Abingdon. Eyewitnesses said the single-engined trainer hit the ground nose first with a violent impact after spiralling out of control. According to the Ministry of Defence website, the Tutor T Mk 1 "is used for elementary flying training by the 14 University Air Squadrons and 12 Air Experience Flights throughout the UK". Nicholas was a cadet with the Combined Cadet Force (CCF) at Elvian School, in Bath Road, Reading, Berkshire. Following his death, his parents Julia and John Langley-Rice said in a statement: "He was very creative, single-minded, charming, engaging and gentle. "He had a lovely sense of humour and had a passion for flying and skiing. He also loved his music, living for his electric guitar and regularly took piano lessons. "When he left school he wanted to become an aeronautical engineer - he was in the CCF (Combined Cadet Force) and was very accomplished. "He had lots of friends and got on well with everyone; he was very popular and had good morals. This is a great shock to us and he will be missed by everyone." Fl Lt Blee was a retired Wing Commander with 38 years of service prior to becoming a Volunteer Reserve Officer on No 6 Air Experience Flight (AEF) in 2005, where he assumed the rank of Flight Lieutenant. During his time as an AEF pilot, he flew hundreds of cadets on air experience flights and latterly taught University Air Squadron students to pilot the Grob 115E Tutor. The inquest took place at Oxford Coroner's Court, Old Assizes, County Hall, New Road, Oxford and its due to continue for the next six days.