A helicopter pilot from RAF Benson who died in a crash in Iraq had "insufficient training", a coroner has said.

Flt Lt Kristian Gover died while the Puma helicopter was landing at Basra airport on July 19, 2004, an inquest at Oxford Coroners' court heard today.

Recording a narrative verdict into the death, Oxford assistant deputy coroner Andrew Walker said: "Flt Lt Gover was on active service as the non-handling pilot in a Puma helicopter that was at Basra air station while landing downwind at about 10.30am local time, on July 19, 2004.

"The crew were not aware that the wind speed had increased from 10 knots to 22 knots at the time that they were landing.

"The training of the crew was insufficient to take account of the change in aircraft performance in the operating environment in which they were to fly.

"Flt Lt Gover died in the aircraft which caught fire following the crash."

The inquest heard that Flt Lt Gover and his pilot Flt Lt Daniel Brookcor were both experienced helicopter pilots with more than 1,000 flying hours between them.

Flt Lt Gover's father, Tony Gover, said during the hearing yesterday: "They crashed. They were incompetent. My son is dead because they were incompetent."

Mr Walker indicated that he would be writing to the Secretary of State for Defence, Des Browne, recommending that flight data recorders are installed in all military helicopters, and that a requirement is made for air traffic control to pass on wind speed to landing craft - and for it to be confirmed back to the control tower before clearance for landing was granted.