Nando Times

Small plane crashes in Britain; at least one killed

The Associated Press

YATELEY, England (December 23, 2000 12:45 p.m. EST http://www.nandotimes.com) - As least one person was killed when a small airplane crashed into a business park shortly after takeoff Saturday and started a fire that engulfed a small factory.

The business park was believed to be empty at the time, police said.

Authorities found one body, believed to be from the plane, Hampshire police said. Five people were said to be aboard the 14-seat plane at takeoff.

The twin-engine Beech turboprop took off in a thick fog at Blackbushe Airport, about 40 miles southwest of London, and spiraled out of control just moments after becoming airborne, police said.

It crashed just a quarter mile from the end of the runway, into the Wilkinson House factory unit - owned by a rubber company - at the Blackbushe Business Park, a spokesman from the Hampshire Fire Brigade said.

Seven fire engines were needed to contain the blaze.

The plane was on its way to Palma, Majorca, police said. Its occupants were believed to include two pilots.

-- Rachel Gibson (rgibson@hotmail.com), December 23, 2000

Answers

BB C

Sunday, 24 December, 2000, 12:42 GMT Racing boss among plane crash victims

Experts are still unsure about the cause of the crash Motor racing millionaire Brian Kreisky and three members of his family were among the victims of a light aircraft crash that claimed the lives of five people.

Mr Kreisky, 53, from Guernsey, died along with his brother Michael, 56, from Barnet in London and Michael's son and daughter, Tom and Clare Kreisky.

The fifth victim was Tom Kreisky's girlfriend, Clare Gale-Hasslam, also from London.

All five are thought to have died instantly when the plane crashed into a Hampshire business park, setting a factory unit ablaze.

The Beech King Air 200 aircraft spiralled out of control shortly after taking off from Blackbushe airport in Yateley at about 1345GMT.

The party were on their way to Palma on the Spanish holiday island of Majorca for a Christmas break.

Jerry Leonard, assistant divisional officer of Hampshire fire and rescue service, said his officers had located the bodies in the tangled burnt wreckage of the plane about 15 metres inside the factory unit.

Guernsey-based motor racing promoter Mr Kreisky ran several companies producing motorsport videos and live television coverage which he syndicated around the world.

The nephew of former Austrian President, Bruno Kreisky, he had lived on the Isle of Man, where his estranged wife Cathy and two children are still thought to have their home.

BBC Radio 5 Live motorsport correspondent Nick Harris, who did race commentary for Mr Kreisky, said he had had his own pilot's licence for years and was extremely keen on flying.

"It was an important part of his job as he covered grand prix races all over the world."

'Abrasive character'

Mr Harris described Mr Kreisky as "a tough and uncompromising businessman".

"Brian could be an abrasive character - but he could also be an extremely funny and entertaining man.

"He could certainly strike a deal - but once he had struck a bargain he was a man of his word."

Motor-racing publicist Paul Fowler, who presented and commentated on races including Le Mans and the Paris-Dakar Rally for Mr Kreisky in the 1980s, said he had flown with him several times.

Mr Kreisky owned several private planes, he added.

Mr Fowler described him as a shrewd businessman and a "pioneer".

"He was very quick off the mark to see the opportunities.

"He did a lot of coverage for the early Sky channels and BSB in the mid-1980s, after realising there was a huge market for motorsports coverage."

Experts are still unsure about the cause of the crash but the Air Accidents Investigation Branch was examining the wreckage on Sunday.

Post mortem examinations will be held on Tuesday and the coroner has been informed that inquests will open next week, said a police spokesman.

Thick fog

The plane was the last aircraft to be allowed to leave the airport before it was closed due to thick fog.

It was airborne for seconds before crashing into the factory unit belonging to rubber suppliers Linotex, on the Blackbushe Business Park, about 200 yards from the end of the runway.

The factory - which usually runs 24 hours a day - was empty having been closed for the Christmas break.

A Surrey Ambulance Service crew had arrived at the incident within a couple of minutes, but were unable to get close because of the fire.

Police have set up an exclusion zone around the site which is expected to cause delays to traffic on the A30 between the B3016 and A327 Eversely turnings.

-- Rachel Gibson (rgibson@hotmail.com), December 24, 2000.