Yorkshire woman whose father died in plane crash overcomes fear of flying to do 17,000ft skydive

Pip Nix's father Gerry Davitt, 42, and her grandfather Larry Davitt, 67, died after their aircraft burst into flames and crashed into a field in 1999.

She admits she'd been a 'bad flyer' ever since the tragedy but bravely jumped 17,000ft out of a plane to raise money for charity over the weekend.

Pip, 35, said: "It was incredible - it dawned on me when I was dangling my legs out of the plane, that I hadn't really prepared myself for this part. The free fall was amazing and then the parachute when up and you just swoop from way way to the other way because of the wind.

"I think my father and grandfather would be so overwhelmingly proud - I know for a fact I felt my father was on the plane because of all the bumps and wobbles. It was like he was giving the plane a nudge just for a laugh.

"I think they would be really proud though and when we was descending, I called out the names of my loved ones that I had lost."

Larry and Gerry were on the aircraft alongside Paul Blackburn and Kenneth Moore when the plane crashed onto a field in Hemingbrough in North Yorkshire.

Pip says her father was flying the plane when 'several things came together' that meant there was nothing he could do to prevent the crash.

She was still in primary school when it happened and says she remembers being told by her mum and headteacher that they had been killed.

Pip said: "I had just turned ten and it's really interesting because I have really clear vivid memories of some parts of it but don't remember other parts of it. I had been at a sleepover at a friend's house the night before, so I didn't get to even see my father that morning. I had go to primary school and the classroom doors were always open - but they had been shut which was really odd.

"The headteacher came to the door and took me into the office and my mum was there and I could see that she was obviously really upset. They explained that fatherdy and grandfather were in the plane and that there had been a really bad accident - I got upset and asked if they were okay and she said no. My best friend was leaning against the wall and she remembers hearing me scream really loudly, but I don't remember that - which is really weird."

Pip has also paid tribute to her father and granfather and says she has 'so many memories' with them both, which she 'remembers fondly.'

The married mother-of-one said: "I have so many memories - my grandfather was Irish and they had these beautiful thick accents which I remember fondly. He was a taxi driver - so we always called him grandfather taxi.

"There is so many things I remember about my father, he loved nothing more than to wind people up and he was a real practical joker. He was a real hard worker and he built a really successful business from the group up.

"He grafted a lot and he did that to provide us with a really incredible life and a really incredible childhood. He loved his family and as soon as he would come home from work, he would put his dressing gown on and would watch TV with us.

"He was such a kind soul and knew so many people - everyone really respected him and liked him a lot because he was a genuinely good guy."

Pip, who works in children and young people's mental health, chose to raise money for Cruse Bereavement Support as they provided her with therapy after the accident.

But she says so many children are unable to have bereavement support, because the services are so underfunded and overstretched.

Pip, of Hambleton, said: "Every death is traumatic but this one was even more so, because of the nature of it - light aircrafts don't fall out of the sky every day. It brought a lot of complexities and there was a lot of media and police involvement and they came to us pretty soon as soon as we lost them and they were amazing.

"Their counsellors are all volunteers, but you can't volunteer unless you've been bereaved yourself. They gave us counselling as a family and as individuals - so those two opportunities were just invaluable. I believe my counsellor was sent from my father."

You can donate to Pip's fundraising page here.