A GLIDER pilot may have been distracted by taking photographs of other gliders before he crashed in North Yorkshire, an official report has revealed.

Barry Thompson, 54, of Bedford, died in hospital weeks after missing the landing site at Sutton Bank near Thirsk on August 30 last year.

He had been flying out of the Yorkshire Gliding Club's base at Sutton Bank.

The crash was investigated by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch, and the report into its findings was published last week. It said that Mr Thompson had descended in his craft until it was too low to land safely back at the airfield. "However, the pilot appears to have made an attempt to do so and, whilst turning at low height and low speed, lost control of the glider.

"It crashed on the steep slope just below the ridge line, and the pilot sustained injuries from which he later died."

It said Mr Thompson was a member of a club which flew vintage gliders and was visiting Sutton Bank as part of an annual event, and he was flying a wooden craft made at Kirkbymoorside, near Sutton Bank, in 1964.

He was known to have been a keen photographer and cameras were recovered later from the wreckage which showed that he took pictures during the fateful flight, many of other gliders in flight.

He had reasonable flying experience, but only limited experience of hill or ridge soaring, and was inexperienced in the type of craft he was flying.

Photographic evidence had shown that he suffered a potential source of distraction by taking photographs until the last minutes of the flight.

"It is known that the camera was switched on at the time of the accident."

The report said he had been taking photographs of gliders above him at the time that his low height was causing concern to onlookers below.

"Given that opportunities to land were not taken, it is possible that the pilot allowed himself to become distracted from his prime task of piloting the glider, and descended to a lower height than he had intended."

The report said that there was no requirement for pilots visiting Sutton Bank to be briefed on local procedures and guidance, and it recommended the British Gliding Association to review the guidance it gives to associated clubs over briefings for visiting pilots.

The aim should be to ensure that such pilots are adequately briefed on all aspects of site operations.