Death of Peter Lanyon in 1964

For those who might be interested in this topic, a post on
http://uras.gliderpilot.net/ found a person who had witnessed the
crash. Here's what he said:

"I did observe the latter part of the crash and remember the left wing
of
the Skylark 3 he was flying in contact with the tarmac runway and
bending
a great deal. This occurred at Dunkeswell with the Devon and Somerset
club before its move to North Hill. I recall being told that Peter was
only kept in hospital because of a comparatively minor back injury and
then suddenly died when the enforced inactivity allowed a blood clot,
formed at a bruise on his leg, to reach the brain.

The glider was not terminally damaged as Ralf Jones repaired and flew
it
himself until colliding with an Olympia whilst competing in a
competition
at Nympsfield. I was there tugging in a Tiger Moth at the time and
well
remember seeing Ralf descend by parachute and land just outside the
airfield. Pieces of Skylark rained down for some time afterwards. The
badly damaged Olympia arrived on the site with the unhurt pilot still
aboard having decided he wasn't high enough to jump by the time he'd
got
the canopy off.

Ralf subsequently took-off again to attempt the task in a 4 series
Olympia
he was in the process of buying. They don't make them like that any
more."

Interesting stuff.

smith