Businessman is killed in Cornwall air crash

An Eyewitness has told of seeing a helicopter plunge from the sky into a North Cornwall field, killing the pilot.

Investigators are examining the wreckage at Week Orchard, between Week St Mary and Marhamchurch, near Bude, for clues about Sunday’s crash.

Businessman and farmer Chris Watts died when the Robinson R44 Raven crashed, narrowly missing a house and power cables.

Mr Watts, 45, single with no children, was the managing director of Aldwick Court Farm Hospitality in Somerset.

Lisa Congdon, 30, who runs a stud, said she was just 150 metres from the crash.

“I could see the helicopter coming through the low cloud. It backfired, made a popping noise and came down nose-first at high speed.

“I dialled 999 and we made for the scene. There were small explosions from the fuel.

“We checked to see if there were any survivors, but there was obviously no one in the aircraft so we backed off.

“It missed a holiday cottage by 15 to 20 metres, and there was debris on the road.

“Luckily there were no animals in the field.”

The crash site remains cordoned off while police and the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) continue to examine the scene.

The aircraft crashed on land belonging to farmers Dennis and Denise Congdon.

“There was this terrific roar,” said Mrs Congdon.

“It went right over our house and landed up in the field just over the road.

“There was just a huge cloud of black smoke and fire going up. It was horrendous.”

Electricity to some 300 houses was cut off to protect emergency personnel.

Mr Watts’s brother-in-law David Luck said: “The community is shocked and saddened by his untimely death. Our thoughts are with his mother Mary and sisters Carole and Sandy.”