The death of a pilot whose light aircraft crashed into a tree in poor weather was misadventure, an inquest ruled.

But a coroner criticised a lack of information, communication and finding a suitable landing place as factors in the crash which left two people dead.

Pilot Joe Mann, who was not qualified to fly in cloud, lost control of the plane during a descent and both he and his passenger died from catastrophic, multiple injuries.

The Mudry Cap 10B plane crashed on farmland near the village of Buckland St Mary, Somerset, one day in August 2021.

Mr Mann, 69, and his passenger, Margaret Costa, 74, had been flying to St Mary's on the Isles of Scilly for lunch but just an hour into the flight he decided to return to the base at Yarcombe, Somerset, because of deteriorating weather conditions.

The inquest at Wells, Somerset, heard that the anxious pilot made an emergency distress call saying he was above the cloud and unable to descend.

Senior Somerset coroner Samantha Marsh said: "Mr Mann appears to have become spatially disorientated and this resulted in a high energy impact collision with a large oak tree at Colley farm, Buckland St Mary near Chard."

She said: "It appears there was a lack of appropriate identification of those in control and inadequate communication about the suitability of Exeter as a landing option.

"No consideration was given to the fact that there was sufficient fuel to travel further to a more suitable landing place."

She said talented artist Mrs Costa died instantly from catastrophic injuries.

An Air Accident Investigation Branch inquiry into the crash said Mr Mann 'was not trained or qualified to operate in poor weather'.

The AAIB said when Mr Mann found himself stuck above cloud he asked for help in finding an appropriate aerodrome to land but said the 'level of Air Traffic Control (ATC) support from the Distress and Diversion (D&D) Cell and Exeter Air Traffic Control was not sufficient to provide the assistance required by the pilot who was in a state of distress'.

The AAIB said: "A breakdown in communication and teamwork occurred between the D&D Cell, Exeter ATC and the pilot, which led to miscommunication, incorrect assumptions and omission of critical information." 

The coroner recorded a misadventure conclusion on father of four Mr Mann, a retired union official of Tipton St John, Devon.

She said he had 21 years flying experience, held a valid pilot's licence and flown to the Scillies many times before.

She recorded an accidental death conclusion on grandmother Margaret, of Lancercombe, Sidmouth, Devon.