By Agency
9:54AM BST 19 May 2015
A hero pilot selflessly made a last-minute decision to direct his falling plane into a field and potentially saved the lives of hundreds in the process.
John Gill, 70, from Belper, Derbyshire, was killed instantly when his tiny Cessna aircraft plummeted to the ground unexpectedly.
But at an inquest into his death a coroner said a last-minute change of direction may have been to prevent the plane crashing into the busy motorway below.
Speaking after the inquest on Monday, Mr Gill's daughter, Helena Jones, said: "We're very proud of him and we're pleased with what he did."
His family said at the time of his death that avoiding the M1 would be something he would do and that he had the experience as a pilot to be able to do it.
Recording a conclusion of accidental death, coroner Mairin Casey said: "Shortly before the moment of impact, there was a change of direction.
"While we cannot be certain, it may well be that, familiar with this area, there was a choice made to minimise the risk to others by diverting course from the direction of the motorway.
"That's something that shows firstly experience and secondly a great deal of selflessness in facing that decision."
The plane landed nose-first in the field near junction 26, with the front end crushed on impact.
Miss Casey added: "Although the intention would have been to fly over the motorway, there seems to have been a decision taken to actually stop that line of travel and turn away from the motorway.
"Had he collided and landed on the motorway, there would have been a far greater risk of collision with other traffic."
A full investigation was carried out into the accident, which happened on June 14 last year.
The inquest heard that neither Mr Gill nor Mr Eaves had suffered any sudden illness prior to the accident and that the full safety checks were carried out before the flight.
There was also no evidence of the condition of the plane, built in 1972, contributing to the crash.
The only explanation was that the plane had suffered a partial loss of power - but investigators could not establish why.
Mr Gill's family said that he was flying circuits on the day of the crash and would usually send a text message to them telling them when he would be home.
They said that first they knew of his death was when police visited them. Mr Gill, of Knowl Avenue, worked for Rolls-Royce for nearly 40 years and learned to fly at Merlin Flying Club, Hucknall, after he retired in 2000.
He also had a career as a promising young pop star. He cut a record, I've Got To Please You, which was released in 1973 under his stage name, Jonathan Gill.
