Pilot suffers life-changing injuries during airshow

A pilot has been left with "life-changing but not life-threatening" injuries following an incident at an airshow in Essex.

It happened at Stow Maries Great War Aerodrome in Purleigh, near Maldon, at about 14:30 BST on Sunday.

During a low-level display, one of The Turbulent Team's light aircraft was damaged and the pilot was injured, and the show was stopped.

Ian Flint, chief executive of the aerodrome, said: "We join the whole aviation community in sending our very best wishes to the injured pilot, his family and the Turbulent display team."

The airshow was raising funds for the aerodrome's First World War military aviation museum.

Beforehand, organisers said the display by The Turbulent Team would feature pilots chasing balloons and dropping flour bombs.

The site has been closed since the incident.

A spokesperson for the aerodrome said: "The site will not reopen to air traffic until the investigation by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch has concluded and permission has been granted."

The museum is expected to reopen to the public on Friday.

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