A pilot was taken to hospital after a de Havilland DH.88 Comet crashed at 19:20 BST during the Flying Proms air display at the Shuttleworth visitor attraction near Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, on 15 August 2026. One person was on board the aircraft at the time, and the pilot, who is believed to have been attempting to land, was safely freed from the wreckage before being taken for medical treatment. Organisers confirmed that no one else at the venue was harmed.
According to Shuttleworth's own event listing, the DH.88 Comet had been specifically scheduled to take part in the day's programme, which ran from 10:00 to 22:00 as part of the Flying Proms event.
What happened during the display?
Emergency services were scrambled to the airfield shortly after the crash, with images shared on social media platform X showing a substantial presence of emergency vehicles at the scene. A Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson confirmed the response, stating:
"Fire crews from Sandy and Kempston attended along with two fire officers. No action was taken by our crews other than to provide incident management support to Shuttleworth's on-site fire crews."
What has Shuttleworth said about the incident?
A spokesperson for the Shuttleworth Trust addressed the crash directly, confirming the pilot's condition and the decision to proceed with the remainder of the event. In a statement, they said:
"The crew member in question has been extracted, is responding... the second half of the orchestral performance will therefore continue."
The Trust added that no further details could be released at that stage, but reiterated that there had been no danger or injury to anyone else present at the site.
Was this the airfield's only recent incident?
This marks the second crash at the Shuttleworth site in a matter of months, following an earlier incident during the Wings and Wheels Air Show in May 2026, which also triggered a large emergency response. In that earlier case, the source article stated the pilot was not seriously injured, though according to a national broadcaster's report, the Air Accidents Investigation Branch opened a field investigation into that crash, which involved a replica Avro Triplane IV, and the pilot was later discharged from medical care.
What is known about the Comet's history?
The DH.88 Comet involved in Saturday's crash has previously experienced landing difficulties. According to the Shuttleworth Collection's own aircraft records, the same Comet suffered an undercarriage failure in 2002 following its first test flight after restoration, pointing to a history of complications during landing manoeuvres.
What happens next?
It remains unclear whether the Air Accidents Investigation Branch will open a formal inquiry into Saturday's crash, as it did following the May incident. Per the AAIB's current field investigations register, any incident it takes on typically remains under review until a draft report is produced and circulated for consultation, a process that can take weeks or months.
Key Facts
- Crash occurred at 19:20 BST on 15 August 2026 at Shuttleworth, near Biggleswade, Bedfordshire.
- The de Havilland DH.88 Comet, scheduled as part of the Flying Proms programme, had one person aboard.
- The pilot was hospitalised; no other injuries or danger to attendees were reported.
- Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service sent crews from Sandy and Kempston plus two fire officers.
- It is the second crash at the venue in 2026, after a May incident involving a replica Avro Triplane IV that prompted an AAIB investigation.
