Pilot killed in Thailand after microlight plane plunges into sea: Tribute flight for a dead friend turned to disaster by mystery engine failure

Killed: Award winning pilot Tom Grieve, pictured at the Nong Prue Flying Club in Pattaya, Thailand, died while scattering a friend's ashes
A pilot has died in Thailand after his plane plummeted 1,000ft into the sea.

Tom Grieve, 57, had been flying with Patrick Esser over the Gulf of Thailand to scatter the ashes of a friend who recently died of cancer.
They had just completed the tribute on Saturday afternoon when the microlight’s engine cut out, sending them hurtling into the sea.
Mr Grieve was rescued from the water and taken to hospital along with his friend Mr Esser, 31, but died soon after from apparent chest injuries.
Horrified friends who had gathered to watch the ceremony from speedboats below were forced to look on as the light aircraft clipped a newly constructed pier and plunged into the sea at 70mph.
Mr Esser, from Lyme Regis, Dorset,  suffered a broken arm in the accident.
Speaking yesterday from his bed at the Pattaya Memorial Hospital, 100 miles east of Bangkok, he explained how the tribute to his friend had turned to disaster.
He said: ‘I was making a tribute to my best friend when suddenly things went terribly wrong.
‘My friend Stuart Long had died of throat cancer aged just 41 and we were about to scatter his ashes in the sea. I had done a rehearsal flight the previous day with Tom and everything went fine.
‘We were at about 1,000 feet when the engine cut. Tom tried several times to start it but failed. He was gliding it down and aiming for a large piece of concrete to land on.
‘We must have been going about 70 miles per hour when we clipped something.
‘We went head over heels and crashed into the water upside down.


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2234996/Pilot-killed-Thailand-microlight-plane-plunges-sea-Tribute-flight-dead-friend-turned-disaster-mystery-engine-failure.html