It is believed that last month's fatal accident at Liverpool Airport, involving a Piper Navajo Chieftain, may have been caused by a medical problem involving pilot Keith Whyham. The air ambulance flight was just 45 seconds away from landing when it came down in the Mersey, killing all five people onboard.

EBAN spoke to Liverpool Airport md Rod Hill soon after the crash. Hill said: "There was no indication of any problem. The weather conditions, although not fine and sunny, were overcast. The wind was around four knots, it was drizzly, a bit misty. There was no reason for the weather to in any way explain what happened to this aircraft.

"It is also complicated by the fact that the aircraft picked up conversation with the ATC in the normal way and the only time that the ATC officer knew there was a problem, was when the aircraft disappeared from the radar screen. And that was probably slightly less than half a mile from the end of the runway."

First on the scene, says Hill, was a helicopter based at Liverpool Airport, which was flying in the vicinity. It had been requested by ATC to look out for the aircraft, after it had disappeared off the radar. Crew spotted the turboprop upside down in the water and are said to have seen no sign of any survivors.

Once alerted, Hill said Liverpool Airport's 24-hour fire service made immediate tracks for as near to the aircraft as they could get, which was on land at the western end of the runway.

At the same time, all the calls went out to the other emergency services including the inshore rescue service. It was the inshore rescue who reached the aircraft first, said Hill, within several minutes of the aircraft having come down.

Regarding the nature of the impact, Hill explained: "Two people, both women, were thrown clear and the feedback that I have had is that they would have died on impact. The aircraft broke up on hitting the water into five main pieces.

"Within the first half an hour, one body had been recovered and the second quite quickly after that, so we knew there was little possibility of there being any survivors. The other three bodies, including the stretcher case, were recovered during the course of the late morning/afternoon, still in the aircraft."

Those who died in the accident were patient Stephen Charlton, his wife Lynne Charlton, pilot Keith Whyham and a 21-year-old medical student and 37-year-old nurse.\rHill continued: "The likelihood is that the pilot might have had a medical problem. A newspaper report this morning suggests that he had a heart attack."

The Piper Navajo Chieftain had left Ronaldsway Airport on the Isle of Man with a serious medical case onboard. The stretcher passenger, Stephen Charlton, was travelling to Liverpool for consultancy in one of its specialised hospitals.The aircraft, which was approximately 20 years old, was owned by Blackpool-based Air Navigation and Trading and was, at the time of the accident, being subchartered to Island Aviation, on the Isle of Man.

Air Navigation and Trading's md Chris Whyham (and brother of Keith Whyham) said: "I would describe Keith as one of the most experienced general aviation pilots in the country. We had 100 per cent confidence in Keith's ability to cope with any problems. We are very upset and send full condolences to the next of kin of the passengers involved.

"We have total confidence in the integrity of the aeroplane. Until the inquest has been resumed, it would be inappropriate for me to make further comment. They are hoping to resume the inquest by November."

The aircraft wreckage is now being examined by the UK air accident investigation branch in Farnborough.