A pensioner who died following a microlight crash might have survived if he was wearing his diagonal seat belt, an investigation has found.
The man lost control of the aircraft after starting it up at East Fortune Airfield near East Fortune on June 1 last year, the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) said.
Witnesses heard the engine “revving”, causing the Pegasus Quik microlight to accelerate over the ground and smash into a runway marker sign.
The collision caused the aircraft to bounce and become airborne, before it crashed in an adjacent field.
READ MORE: Emergency services rush to the scene of microlight aircraft crash at East Fortune
Flying club staff quickly went to the scene and found the pilot – who was not named by the AAIB – secured in his seat by a lap strap.
The diagonal shoulder seat belt was positioned in a way that meant it could not be used.
The pilot was taken to hospital but died eight days later.
A post-mortem examination found he suffered a severe blow to the right side of his head.
The report concluded that the pilot “might have survived” had he worn “a shoulder harness to restrain his upper torso”.
Users of the type of aircraft involved in the crash are not required to wear diagonal seat belts due to concerns this would overly restrict their movements.
The AAIB recommended that the Civil Aviation Authority review this policy.
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