Inquest hears how Daniel, 16, survived plane crash

An inquest jury in the UK heard today how 16-year-old Daniel Greening managed to survive a plane crash which killed four others.

Daniel was making his first jump when the single-engined Cessna crashed in the English countryside.

He said the last thing he remembered was seeing trees going past the back window before the impact.

The teenager, jumping to raise funds for the RNLI, suffered a fractured pelvis in the crash in east Devon in June 2004.

He was due to jump from 10,000ft in tandem with 44-year-old Royal Marine Major Mike Wills, who died in hospital.

Mr Greening, from Kingsteignton, Devon, but now living in Spain, said he believed Maj. Wills saved his life.

“Daniel believes Major Wills put himself between him and the metalwork of the aircraft to lessen the impact and saved his life,” said Devon and Cornwall Police after the accident.

The inquest in Exeter has heard that five parachutists were on board the Cessna, operated by the Devon and Somerset Parachuting School, when it took off from Dunkeswell airfield in east Devon.

A jury has heard the aircraft lost power a few minutes after take-off and crashed in a field close to the village of Beacon, near Honiton.

The pilot, 52-year-old Paul Norman, from Salisbury, Wiltshire, and father and daughter Richard Smith, 42, and 17-year-old Claire also died.

Daniel Batchelor, now 26, from Taunton, Somerset, also survived the crash.