THE deaths of two men killed when the microlight they were travelling in crashed last year has been ruled an accident.

An inquest today heard the light aircraft, being piloted by Connor Morris, failed to stop before the end of the runway and then hit a trailer - killing the pilot and his passenger, Keith Poulton, while their wives looked on in horror.

The coroner, Darren Salter heard details of the crash, which occurred at Enstone Airfield, on July 3, 2015 at approximately 7.15pm.

He was told how the microlight was eight per cent heavier than it should have been, a factor which could have impacted how the microlight landed.

Witnesses also told the inquest how they heard Dr Morris, known as Eddie, open the throttle again as he came in to land, as if to try to take off again.

The move failed however and the plane ploughed into the trailer, leading to the two men suffering multiple "unsurvivable" injuries. They were both declared dead within an hour.

Giving evidence at the inquest, air accident investigator Philip Sleight said the cause of the crash may never be known and after deliberating for 35 minutes, a jury ruled it an accidental crash.

Dr Morris was a Quaker GP who had recently retired after 30 years in practice in Witney and during the inquest was described as an “excellent pilot”.

He had been flying since 2006 and had acquired his pilot's licence and accrued a "considerable" amount of flying time.

Speaking after the inquest, his wife Lesley Morris said: "It was a dreadful accident caused by a combination of factors. It is a great tragedy for both families. We are all devastated by the loss of these two adventurous, lively, active, humorous, family-loving men.

"It is an abrupt end to a life fully lived. He is greatly missed by his family and the wider community in Witney."

Questions were also raised about the presence of the trailer at the end of runway, although this was not considered a factor in causing the crash.

Enstone Airfield is unlicensed, meaning that it does not have to comply with regulations relating to buildings and obstructions being placed at the end of airstrips, or having run-off space at the sides or ends for craft to pull into in the event of an aborted take-off.

In summing up, Mr Salter said he wanted a review into the regulations.

He said: “Coroners don't make recommendations; I'm not an expert in aviation or airfields, I don't say something different has to be done.”

A post mortem examination gave the cause of death for both men as multiple injuries.