Last updated at 21:56 14 June 2007

A pilot's brave spirit of sacrifice saved hundreds of lives when he veered his stricken Spitfire away from crowds at an airshow.

Martin Sargeant, 56, died instantly when his Second World War fighter crashed in a field in Rouen, northern France.

The father of three made a last-minute diversion when he realised the emergency landing strip was full of people watching the aerobatics display, an inquest heard yesterday.

Realising they would never disperse in time, he tried to swerve the plane towards another runway, but it was too late.

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An inquest in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, has heard how the Spitfire crashed in the airfield and burst into flames. Mr Sargeant, from Goudhurst, Kent, died instantly.

The plane was seen trailing smoke shortly before it crashed on June 4, 2001.

Fellow pilot John Romaine told the inquest of Mr Sargeant's heroic last moments.

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"There had been a briefing for all the pilots at lunchtime where we were told there was an emergency grass landing strip we could use if we encountered any problems," he said.

"At 4.20pm, we were strapped into our aircraft. Martin was in front of me by a couple of seconds - I was in the aircraft at the back of our formation.

"Then I saw plumes of smoke and heard Martin say he had a problem. He broke away from the formation and I broke away too and followed him.

"He started to head back to the airfield. I moved away to give him space, but stayed with him in my plane.

"I heard him call out over the radio that there were hundreds of people on the landing strip.

"His plane was descending with no power. It is not the easiest plane to fly with no engine.

"Had the runway been clear, he would have been able to land it perfectly. He would have made it to the grass strip.

"From the air, the whole area just looked inundated with people.

"He decided to try to head for the tarmac runway instead - but it would have been difficult for him to head there. The next time I looked, there was a plume of smoke where his plane had crashed."

The Air Accident Investigation Branch found Mr Sargeant's engine had problems with the magnetos - which provide power to generate an ignition spark for the fuel - and this had caused his engine to fail. Corooccasionner Roger Hatch recorded a verdict of accidental death.

"Mr Sargeant took all the possible steps to land his aircraft in an emergency - he was told where he would be able to land in the occasion of an emergency," he said.

"Why it was the general public it seems were allowed to be on the grass I have been unable to find out.

"It is clear that Mr Sargeant tried to change his plans and head for the alternative runway. But without any power - either the engine turned off, or cut off - it left him with very few alternatives, and the accident took place."

He apologised for the six-year delay in holding the hearing, which he blamed on a lack of cooperation from the French authorities.

Eleven Spitfires and a Hurricane had taken part in the Rouen display, the first to bring together such an important collection of Second World War planes in France since the war.

Mr Sargeant, who ran a car restoration business, was an experienced pilot.

Yesterday his son Carl said: "He was a wonderful man, a great husband, father and boss. We miss him terribly.

"The fact is, that emergency landing strip should have been clear. If it had been we would not be here today."

Mr Sargeant died just a day after three other pilots were killed in two separate crashes at the Biggin Hill Airshow in Kent.