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De Havilland DH.88 Comet crashes during Shuttleworth proms display

BBC Published Aug 15, 2026 Reviewed Aug 18, 2026 ✓ Reviewed by citations.press editors
De Havilland DH.88 Comet crashes during Shuttleworth proms display
The de Havilland DH.88 Comet crashed at 19:20 BST on Saturday evening at the Shuttleworth visitor attraction near Biggleswade in Bedfordshire, with one person on board.
1 · person on board
The pilot of the crashed de Havilland DH.88 Comet was taken to hospital and discharged on Sunday.
1 · pilot
A Shuttleworth Trust spokesperson said the crew member was extracted and responding, and the second half of the orchestral performance would continue.
Shuttleworth Trust spokesperson, spokesperson
The Shuttleworth Trust confirmed there had been no danger or injuries to anyone else on site.
Shuttleworth Trust, spokesperson
A Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson confirmed they were called to reports of an aircraft crash at the Shuttleworth site on Saturday evening.
Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson, spokesperson
Fire crews from Sandy and Kempston attended the incident along with two fire officers.
2 · fire officers Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson, spokesperson
The Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service crews did not take any action other than providing incident management support to Shuttleworth's on-site fire crews.
Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson, spokesperson
The Shuttleworth Trust updated on Sunday that the pilot had been discharged from hospital.
1 · pilot discharged Shuttleworth Trust, spokesperson
The Shuttleworth Trust thanked staff, volunteers and emergency services for their dedication and support during and beyond the incident.
Shuttleworth Trust, spokesperson
The Shuttleworth Trust said details about the state of the aircraft would be issued in due course.
Shuttleworth Trust, spokesperson
The crash was the second incident at the Shuttleworth airfield in recent months, following another crash during the Wings and Wheels Air Show in May.
2 · incidents at the airfield
The pilot involved in the crash was not seriously injured.

A pilot was taken to hospital after a plane involved in a "flying proms" air display crashed.

The incident happened at 19:20 BST at the Shuttleworth visitor attraction, near Biggleswade in Bedfordshire, and involved a de Havilland DH.88 Comet with one person on board.

The pilot, who is understood to have been landing the plane, was safely removed before being taken to hospital and was discharged on Sunday. Images on X show a large presence of emergency service vehicles.

A spokesperson for the Shuttleworth Trust said: "The crew member in question has been extracted, is responding... the second half of the orchestral performance will therefore continue."

They said no further information could be given at this stage, but they could confirm there had been no danger or injuries to anyone else on site.

A Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson confirmed they had been called to reports of an aircraft crash at the site on Saturday evening.

"Fire crews from Sandy and Kempston attended along with two fire officers," they said.

"No action was taken by our crews other than to provide incident management support to Shuttleworth's on-site fire crews."

In an update on Sunday, the trust said the pilot had now been discharged from hospital.

It said: "We would like to thank all of the staff, volunteers and emergency services for their dedication and support during and beyond the incident."

Details about "the state of the aircraft" would be issued in due course, the trust added.

It is the second incident at the airfield in recent months following another crash during the Wings and Wheels Air Show in May.

There was a large emergency response during that incident too. The pilot involved was not seriously injured.

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