BRAVE schoolboy Nicholas Rice tried desperately to bail out of a doomed aircraft after his tutor was killed in front of him in a mid-air collision, an inquest heard yesterday.

The 15-year-old air cadet had been enjoying a flight experience with retired RAF pilot Mike Blee when their plane clipped the tail of a glider.

Both aircraft then plummeted to the ground and although glider pilot Albert Freeborn managed to escape using a parachute, both Wing Commander Blee and Nicholas were trapped in the plane.

Crash investigator Brian McDermid told the inquest into their deaths that he believed Mr Blee had been unable to steady the Grob 115E (Tutor) plane after it struck the tail of the glider.

The inquest heard Mr Blee suffered from Ankylosing Spondylitis, or bamboo spine, a rare inflammatory condition which caused the bones in his spine to fuse together, meaning that even a slight jolt could have resulted in his spine being broken.

At the time of the collision it was believed that the plane had been about to perform a loop, meaning the canopy would have needed to be secured to stop the risk of it flying open during the manoeuvre.

“When it hit the ground it was in an open position so at one stage during the flight someone has opened the canopy,” said Mr McDermid, an engineering expert with the The UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB).

“We believe that Wing Commander Blee was incapacitated during the collision.

“I would believe it was probably Nicholas who tried to open the canopy.”

The attempt was unsuccessful however, as the jettison lever on the canopy opening system had not been released, making it extremely difficult to open the roof with the plane in freefall.

Mr McDermid said that Nicholas had also undone his harness before the crash.

Nicholas had been a member of the Combined Cadet Force at the Elvian School in Reading, and had been taking part in the flight experience hosted by RAF Benson.

He was paired with 62-year-old Wing Commander Blee, of St Mary’s Green, Abingdon, who had retired from the RAF in 2005 after serving for 38 years, but had rejoined as a volunteer.

The collision occurred at around 4,100ft, with the plane rising to 4,500ft before falling to earth close to Drayton, near Abingdon, on June 14, 2009.

The hearing, before Oxfordshire deputy Coroner Alison Thompson and a jury continues.

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