A RETIRED RAF pilot died after his glider crashed shortly after being launched, an inquest heard.

Group Captain Keith McPhee suffered serious head injuries after his glider went out of control and crashed to the ground upside down during the take off procedure at Keevil Airfield near Trowbridge on September 23, 2006.

The 67-year-old of Woodlands in Pickwick, Corsham, was a member of Bannerdown Gliding Club and an expert glider pilot and instructor, having flown 214 times in 2006 alone.

He first flew solo in 1984 and had owned the 1979 Schleicher ASW fibreglass glider for more than two years.

Wiltshire coroner David Masters, sitting at Trowbridge Town Hall, this week, heard evidence from gliding club member Desmond Burnett from Melksham who had received flying tuition from Group Captain McPhee. He said: "As the glider went down the runway the right wing went down and hit the ground and the rudder at the back of the aircraft deflected fully to one side.

"I said to my wife, that's not right. I fully expected to see the glider do a full harmless ground loop in which nothing is hurt apart from the pilot's pride.

"I expected to see the winch cable that was towing the glider release but I was surprised to see that it did not release and the glider then left the ground.

"It took off and veered to the right, gaining altitude of about 150ft. I saw the nose drop and the plane then inverted. It was out of control.

"Then it dropped to the ground. I was already running over at this point to try and help Keith. When I reached the plane I glanced in the cockpit and could see that he had sustained a serious head injury."

Members of the club, including the winch operator and the wing walker, who stabilised the glider before take off, rushed to free Group Captain McPhee from the aircraft.

He was airlifted to Frenchay Hospital in Bristol by the Wiltshire Air Ambulance but died of his injuries, severe fractures to his skull and damage to his brain, three days later.

The coroner heard evidence from other club members and experts from the Air Accident Investigation Branch who speculated that Group Captain McPhee might have had difficulty pulling the winch cable release knob because of its position in the cockpit, but there was no evidence to prove it.

Speaking after the verdict, his widow Jean McPhee, said: "Keith was an absolute stickler for safety and precaution and he was a true gentleman."

Returning a unanimous verdict of misadventure, the eight-strong jury gave the cause of death as serious head injuries.