AN experienced pilot who crashed the plane she was flying, killing her and her pupil, may have suffered from a heart attack prior to the incident.

Aerobatic flying ace Emily Collett, 35, was flying with student Thomas Castle, 30, when their blue-and-yellow biplane crashed near the B480, between Stonor and Middle Assendon in August 2019.

An inquest into their deaths, which started yesterday (11) and is due to take place over five days at Oxford Corner’s Court, heard the pilot could have suffered from a heart attack before the plane crashed.

READ MORE: Inquest into plane death of Carol Voderman's flight instructor

The pair took off from White Waltham airfield, near Maidenhead, on the morning of August 24 at about 12.55pm.

About 10 minutes later, the plane came crashing down about eight miles away. Eyewitnesses described seeing the two-winged aircraft ‘nosedive out of the sky’.

The married instructor was in the front seat of the plane. Mr Castle, who was an aircraft engineer, was in the back seat. Both died at the scene.

Mrs Collett was known for teaching Carol Vorderman to fly on The One Show in 2017. In the wake of the tragedy, Ms Vorderman, who was taught to loop-the-loop for the TV programme, said: "Such a terrible, terrible loss.

READ MORE: South Central Ambulance Service declares 'critical' incident

"Emily was an extraordinary young woman and pilot and my time with her in the air was nothing but a joy.”

The inquest continues.

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This story was written by Gee Harland, she joined the team in 2022 as a senior multimedia reporter.

Gee covers Wallingford and Didcot.

Get in touch with her by emailing: Gee.harland@newsquest.co.uk

Follow her on Twitter @Geeharland

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