Air Cadet's mother: 'RAF failed my son'

THE family of a 15-year-old Calcot teenager who died in an air crash in 2009 have been awarded a settlement from the Ministry of Defence.
Nicholas Langley-Rice, a Combined Cadet Force cadet, was taking part in an air experience training flight with Flt Lieut Mike Blee, aged 62, when their Grob 115E light aircraft collided with a glider, before nose-diving to the ground in Drayton, Abingdon.
Both passengers in the light aircraft were killed in the accident while the glider pilot parachuted to safety.
At an inquest in 2012, a jury found that there were a series of failures by the RAF which contributed to his death.
His flight instructor had a pre-existing condition which left his spine so brittle that a leading medical expert said it could snap at any moment, causing instant death.
Despite this, an RAF doctor, who was under General Medical Council restrictions at the time, ticked a box confirming that Flt Lieut Blee’s spine was normal and passed him as fit to fly.
The condition, ankylosing spondylitis, also restricted the pilot’s head and neck movement making it difficult for him to look all around the aircraft while flying and the inquest heard that he was excluded from parachute training in 1976 owing to the impact it may have on his spine.
Following an admission of liability by the MoD for Nicholas’ death, MPH Solicitors secured an undisclosed settlement for the family but lawyers and his mother Julia have hit out at their treatment at the hands of the armed forces.
Mr Langley-Rice’s mother, Julia Rice, said: “As parents we tried to help him pursue his passions and that one of them ultimately took his life leaves me distraught. Without him it doesn’t matter what success I achieve in my life, nor how happy I manage to be, it will only ever be second best.
“I agreed that Nicholas could fly in the complete understanding that the RAF knew what they were doing and would take care of him, otherwise I would never have signed any documents.
“My belief now is that the RAF failed my son and cost him his life.”