The family of 70-year-old Peter Smith have issued a heartfelt tribute after he was killed when a helicopter crashed off Ings Lane in the Bentley area of Doncaster on Thursday morning.
Smith was aboard the aircraft shortly after it departed from Retford Gamston Airport in Nottinghamshire.
He died at the scene, while the 41-year-old pilot and two other passengers a 58-year-old woman and a 10-year-old boy escaped with minor injuries.
His family’s statement described Smith as “a beloved husband, father and grandfather who was devastated by this sudden loss”. They said he had “a real passion for aviation, which he shared with his family”.
They recalled how he enjoyed spending time doing crafts and playing with his grandchildren, working and socialising with his son, and going out for meals with his wife especially desserts, noting he “had a particularly sweet tooth”.
The crash prompted a joint investigation by South Yorkshire Police and the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB), and the family asked the public not to speculate while they grieve.
Smith will be deeply missed by his family and all who knew him.
