LONDON: World War II planes are not expected to take part in coming events for the 80th anniversary of D-Day landings, Britain’s air force said on Friday, after the fatal crash of a Spitfire.

The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (BBMF), a collection of wartime fighter and bomber aircraft that take part in air shows, was grounded after pilot Mark Long was killed in a crash last weekend.

The cause of the crash “remains unknown”, resulting in the decision to keep the fleet grounded for longer, the RAF said in a statement, adding that flight safety was its “primary concern”.

“Regretfully, BBMF aircraft are not expected to be able to participate in the forthcoming D-Day 80 Commemorations over June 5-6,” it said.

The Spitfire crashed near the RAF Coningsby base in Lincolnshire, eastern England, last Saturday.

A few dozen airworthy Spitfires, which were key to Britain’s WWII operations, remain, including six that are part of the BBMF based at RAF Coningsby.

They were to take part in a national commemorative event in Portsmouth on June 5 to mark 80 years since Allied forces landed on the beaches of Normandy, in northern France, turning the tide of World War II away from Germany.

The RAF’s investigation into the crash is ongoing and it is not known when a decision will be made on whether the vintage planes will fly again.

Published in Dawn, June 1st, 2024