Show caption Helicopter pilot Mike Green was described as ‘probably the most well-respected instructor in the industry’. Photograph: Vagner Vidal/INS News Agency Ltd UK news Helicopter pilot killed in mid-air crash named as Mike Green Three others were killed in the collision between a helicopter and a two-seater plane in Buckinghamshire on Friday David Connett and agencies Sat 18 Nov 2017 17.23 GMT Share on Facebook

Share on Twitter

Share via Email 2 years old

A helicopter pilot killed in a mid-air collision in Buckinghamshire on Friday has been named as Capt Mike Green, according to the Press Association.

He was a senior instructor with Helicopter Services, based at Wycombe Air Park.

A spokesman for the company, which offers training flights and gift experiences, declined to comment.



Green, who had learned to fly in the army, was hailed by fellow pilots as “one of the best”.

Former colleague Capt Phil Croucher said: “He was probably the most well-respected instructor in the country. He achieved a very high position within the army as an instructor. If you wanted a training instructor there’s no one more highly qualified.”



The police have yet to officially release any details of the victims, saying formal identification was still under way.

Green, who was in his 60s, is survived by a partner and family.



He was said to have been training a student on a beginners’ course when the helicopter was involved in the collision.

Recorded flight data showed the helicopter had been in the air for 15 minutes after taking off from Wycombe Air Park, 20 miles from the crash scene.

It was flying at just over 1,000ft when it vanished off the radar just after noon on Friday.

Aerial view reveals wreckage from Buckinghamshire air collision - video

Eyewitnesses reported it collided with a Cessna 152 two-seater plane. Local reports said the plane was being flown by an instructor and the passenger was understood to be a student at Buckinghamshire New University.

Police and air accident investigators continue to scour the crash site near the Waddesdon estate, the former country seat of the Rothschild banking dynasty, for clues about the cause of the collision.

Supt Rebecca Mears of Thames Valley police said air crash investigators and police were expected to be at the scene until at least Monday.

She said it was “too early to tell” what might have caused the crash.



Speaking to reporters at the scene, Mears confirmed that the four people killed in the crash were all men, two in each of the aircraft involved.

“All the families have now been informed and are being supported by officers in the family liaison arena,” she said. “Three of the families have visited the site today with our support so they can understand a little bit more about what’s happened to their loved ones.