Pilot killed in Staffordshire microlight power line crash

Paramedics battled to save Andy Tollerton, aged 52, after his two-seater aircraft struck lines in a field in Stourton last night – but he died at the scene.

His devastated family in Wollaston today said the father of two had died 'doing what he loved to do'.

The two-seater aircraft struck pylons before crash landing in a field at Stourton, near Stourbridge.

Emergency services were called to the scene by Barratt's Coppice, Bridgnorth Road at around 6pm

The crash sparked power cuts in the surrounding area and engineers worked to repair the fault last night.

Staffordshire Police have been examining the scene of the crash and an investigation into the circumstances is being carried out by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch which sent a team of specialists to Stourton yesterday.

Watch video from the scene today:

The aircraft remained at the scene this morning and had been cordoned off by police. The pilot has not yet been formally identified.

Geoff Walton, aged 56 from Norton, Stourbridge, a paramotor pilot, who had been flying yesterday afternoon and had set off from Kinver, said he had seen a man setting up to take off in the field.

He said he had been flying three or four years and never seen anyone else take off from there. After landing in Kinver, he drove to the field to speak to the man he had seen from the air.

"I spoke to him and his wife and he said he had permission to take off from the field. That must have been at 5.30pm

"I thought it was a bit late to be taking off because of the light, there is a lot of wires and you have to be careful about the cables.

"I watched him take off towards Kinver. When you land here you have to get down quick because of the wires."

No one else was involved in the incident and the pilot was the sole occupant of the aircraft, Staffordshire Police said.

A police statement said: "Just after 6pm, a report was received that a two-seater microlight aircraft had been in collision with pylons at Barratt's Coppice, Bridgnorth Road.

"The sole occupant of the microlight, the male pilot, was confirmed dead at the scene. He has yet to formally identified.

"Specially-trained officers will be supporting the man's family and our thoughts are with them at this difficult time."

West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman John Hawker said:

"Advanced life support was carried out on the man who was piloting the microlight, but unfortunately despite the best efforts of medics, nothing could be done to save him and he was confirmed dead at the scene."

Fire crews from Stourbridge and Kinver were also sent to the scene.