Pilot who saved 100lives dies inair crash

Michael Willis, 73, of Stanmore, Middlesex, and 42-year-old James Willis, of Hillingdon, north London, were in a four-seater Mooney M20B aircraft when it crashed with a sports aircraft over Havenstreet on the Isle of Wight on Saturday September 4.

The Mooney M20B is understood to have broken up mid-air and plummeted into remote woodland, killing the pair.

The sports aircraft, also carrying two men, suffered damage but made it back to Bembridge Airport with both its occupants escaping serious injury.

The planes were among 19 aircraft taking part in the Merlin Trophy races, a precursor for the Schneider Trophy, which was subsequently cancelled.

Jonathan Willis, son of Michael and younger brother of James, described how his father brought a tourist flight back safely to the UK in the late 1970s.

Mr Willis, 38, from Harpenden, Hertfordshire, said: “My father Michael was a lively man who was fun to be around.

“He was a retired airline pilot who once landed a plane carrying more than 100 passengers with no navigation or communication systems after damage in bad weather.

“Shortly after leaving Palma at night, hail stones detached the aircraft’s nose cone, causing a complete electrical failure.

“After the thunderstorm cleared, Dad navigated using the North Star, Paris, and the Edgware Road to land the aircraft safely at Luton Airport.”

Speaking of his brother, he added: “James was not just a great brother but also a great friend. He was kind, thoughtful and generous.

“He had a good sense of humour, was loved by his wife and adored by his children.”

An investigation into the Isle of Wight accident has been launched by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB).