A WIDOW whose husband died on his 60th birthday pleasure flight has launched a legal battle for compensation of more than £300,000.

Paul Vickrage died with pilot Kevin Crossley when a Yak-52 nose-dived into the ground at Bournemouth Airport and burst into flames.

Mr Vickrage, from Talbot Woods, was a successful businessman with his own electronics firm. In July 2006, friends and family turned out at Bourne-mouth Flying Club to surprise him with the flight with friend Mr Crossley.

Now Kay Vickrage, of Huntly Road, Bournemouth, is suing Mr Crossley’s sister Linda Badger, the executor of his estate, for loss and damages.

The writ, issued in the High Court, claims that before the flight, Mr Crossley removed the aircraft’s parachutes and replaced them with cushions, and failed to ensure loose items were secured.

Mr Vickrage made it clear that he wanted a pleasurable flight and did not want to experience aerobatics, it is claimed.

As they returned to Bournemouth airport, Mr Crossley requested a “low approach and go around and then join downwind” so he could carry out a low-level pass before a real landing approach.

He flew as low as about 50ft and at around 340kph and while still close to the flying club, the aircraft was seen to enter another “zooming climb”, it is alleged.

At about 100-200ft the aircraft began to roll to the right. Once it reached the inverted position, it pitched nose downwards and yawed before crashing, almost vertically, at speed, the writ claims.

Mrs Vickrage says the crash was caused by Mr Crossley’s negligence.

The writ alleges Mr Crossley failed to observe or heed Mr Vickrage’s expressed wishes for a pleasurable flight with no aerobatics, conducted manoeuvres at an altitude which was far too low in the circumstances and subjected himself and Mr Vickrage to high G-forces.

He also failed to heed CAA guidance that more than half of aerobatic accidents involved an audience of friends on the ground, it is claimed.

The writ also claims Mr Crossley failed to pull out of the yaw/roll and failed to “conduct himself as a reasonably competent pilot of the aircraft would have done in all the circumstances”.

The writ states that Mrs Vickrage has suffered bereavement and loss of dependency.

An inquest was held in September 2007 into Mr Crossley and Mr Vickrage’s deaths and the jury returned a unanimous accidental death verdict.

During the inquest it was claimed that Mr Crossley could have been “showing off” seconds before the tragedy but another eyewitness said: “Kevin was a careful pilot. He never performed low level aerobatic manoeuvres.”

Mrs Vickrage did not wish to comment on the court case.