Hearing To Be Held At Shrewsbury Coroner's Court

The family of an aviation enthusiast from Market Drayton who died in a microlight crash last year have revealed their hope that an upcoming inquest will provide vital answers in relation to the incident which led to his death.

Lawrence Sumner, who was also known as Mike, died aged 66 on May 30th 2016 when the RANS S6 Coyote II aircraft he was flying in with friend Tony Crocombe came down in a field near to Shifnal Airfield in Shropshire.

An Air Accident Investigation Branch report into the incident highlighted several issues related to the ill-fated flight, including the manner in which the aircraft was flown as it approached the airfield.

Now, with a jury inquest listed to be held at Shrewsbury Coroner’s Court on 30 October and expected to last two days, Mike’s family have revealed how they are desperate for answers regarding how he died.

Peter Lorence, the specialist serious injury lawyer at Irwin Mitchell’s London office who is representing Mike’s widow Patricia and daughter Emma Roberts, said: 

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“Mr Sumner was a much-loved grandfather, father and husband and more than a year since his death, his family are still trying to come to terms with their loss.

“Many questions remain around the exact circumstances of how the microlight came to crash and the aim of the inquest will be to examine the events leading to the flight, why Mr Crocombe lost control of the aircraft and analyse any other contributory factors.

“All of this should go some way to providing a clearer picture in relation to the crash and also how lessons can be learned to improve flight safety in general.” Peter Lorence - Senior Associate Solicitor

Patricia Sumner, 67, said: “We are all still devastated by the loss of Mike and the lack of genuine answers about how he died has made it much harder.

“This inquest is a welcome step and we are hopeful that the many questions we have about that fateful day will soon be answered.”

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