Charity campaigner’s death from microlight crash injuries was accidental, coroner rules

Claire Lomas died of severe injuries five weeks after aircraft crashed into rocks off runway while filming Apple video in Jordan

The death of a disability campaigner after a microlight crash while filming a TV programme for Apple was an accident, a coroner has concluded.

An inquest heard on Thursday that Claire Lomas, 44, died of severe traumatic injuries on 22 August 2024, five weeks after a light aircraft she had been piloting while filming a series to promote Apple’s Vision Pro headset “veered off the runway” during a landing operation and crashed into a rock in Amman, Jordan.

After becoming paralysed from the waist down in a horse-riding accident in 2007, Lomas, from Leicestershire, became a charity campaigner. She raised more than £900,000 for the Nicholls Spinal Injury Foundation and was the first person to finish a marathon with the aid of a “bionic” suit when she completed the 2012 London Marathon in 17 days .

The inquest heard that the Royal Aero Sports Club of Jordan had concluded there was no violation of ground or air safety procedures, and that there was no evidence the 180-degree camera attached to the aircraft had adversely affected the flight.

Concerns about Lomas’s confidence to fly the microlight were explored during the hearing. Ben Ashman, a microlight designer whose company built an adapted version of the aircraft to allow Lomas to fly without the use of her feet, said he believed Lomas may have been stressed before the flight because she posted on Facebook about putting her “brave pants” on, which he said was unusual for her.

Louise Pinder, the senior coroner for Rutland and North Leicestershire , recorded Lomas’s death as accidental, telling the hearing she “was involved in the filming of an episode of Adventure which formed part of a series designed for a virtual reality headset”.

Pinder added: “During the final approach to the roadway, where she was to land, it became apparent to her and to those on the ground that the aircraft was not perfectly aligned.

“Claire made a split-second decision to abort the landing and go around but the aircraft touched down firmly, veered to the left, the left wheel leaving the road on to gravel causing her to further lose control. The aircraft collided with rocks approximately 10 metres from the metalled road surface, as a result of which she sustained multiple traumatic injuries.”

Pinder added: “I have heard no evidence establishing a causal link between any deficiencies in the risk assessment and Claire’s death. I am reassured, as I hope the family will be, that there have been thorough investigations as far as possible into the circumstances of Claire’s death and some lessons have been learnt.”

Pinder noted that Lomas’s family had raised concerns about the quality of care she received in hospital in Jordan, but said there was insufficient evidence to conclude whether there were any missed opportunities in her treatment.

Katherine Allen, a lawyer speaking on behalf of the Lomas family, said the inquest’s conclusion marked “the end of a very difficult, emotional process” for them and that “the family continue to live with the devastating consequences of their loss”.

“Claire was deeply loved and her death has left a profound and enduring void in their lives,” Allen said in a statement. “They will never be the same again following what happened to her.”