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| Pilot's final words before jet crashes into Kent house | Pilot's final words before jet crashes into Kent house |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| A pilot's final words before his doomed private jet plunged into a house in Kent have been replayed at an inquest into the deaths of its five occupants. | A pilot's final words before his doomed private jet plunged into a house in Kent have been replayed at an inquest into the deaths of its five occupants. |
| Michael Roberts reported a problem within a minute of take-off from Biggin Hill airport en route to Pau in France. | Michael Roberts reported a problem within a minute of take-off from Biggin Hill airport en route to Pau in France. |
| The Cessna ploughed into a house in nearby Farnborough, catching fire. Nobody was in the house at the time of the crash, on 30 March 2008. | The Cessna ploughed into a house in nearby Farnborough, catching fire. Nobody was in the house at the time of the crash, on 30 March 2008. |
| Mr Roberts, from Effingham, Surrey, and the other four on board all died. | Mr Roberts, from Effingham, Surrey, and the other four on board all died. |
| The inquest in Bromley, Kent, heard that Mr Roberts, one of two people on board who were qualified to fly the Cessna, reported engine vibrations within a minute of taking off. | The inquest in Bromley, Kent, heard that Mr Roberts, one of two people on board who were qualified to fly the Cessna, reported engine vibrations within a minute of taking off. |
| 'Extremely fortuitous' | 'Extremely fortuitous' |
| He asked permission to return to the airport telling air traffic control: "We have a major problem, a major problem. It looks as though we're going in, we're going in." | He asked permission to return to the airport telling air traffic control: "We have a major problem, a major problem. It looks as though we're going in, we're going in." |
| Witnesses reported seeing the jet flying low over homes before crashing into the house in Romsey Close. | Witnesses reported seeing the jet flying low over homes before crashing into the house in Romsey Close. |
| Coroner Roy Palmer said it was "extremely fortuitous" that no one was in the house at the time and through "great good fortune" that no one was killed on the ground. | Coroner Roy Palmer said it was "extremely fortuitous" that no one was in the house at the time and through "great good fortune" that no one was killed on the ground. |
| With Mr Roberts, 63, on board were co-pilot Michael Chapman, 57, of Shoreham, West Sussex; Dumfries-born David Leslie, 54, a former racing driver; Richard Lloyd, 63, from Brackley, Northamptonshire and Christopher Allarton, 25, of Coventry. All five died at the scene. | |
| The inquest heard that when asked by air traffic controllers what the problem was that prompted him to return to the airport, Mr Roberts said: "Er, don't know, sir. We're getting engine vibration. We'll come straight back." | The inquest heard that when asked by air traffic controllers what the problem was that prompted him to return to the airport, Mr Roberts said: "Er, don't know, sir. We're getting engine vibration. We'll come straight back." |
| Moments later Mr Roberts reported the "major problem" during his final transmission before the aircraft started to descend. | Moments later Mr Roberts reported the "major problem" during his final transmission before the aircraft started to descend. |
| The hearing continues. | The hearing continues. |