The bodies of the victims of the Selby air crash were so badly burned that they had to be identified from dental records and jewellery, an inquest into the tragedy heard.

All four people on board the single-engine light aircraft died instantly when it plunged into a field at Brackenholme, near Hemingbrough, two weeks ago while en route from Sherburn aerodrome to Holland.

When the inquest opened at Selby police station yesterday Coroner Jeremy Cave was told that burning petrol from the aircraft's full tanks made the blaze difficult for fire crews to extinguish, and meant that the four bodies could not be identified at the scene.

Coroner's officer PC George Beattie said that, given the extent of the injuries and the location of the crash, visual identification was impossible, and the bodies were taken to York District Hospital.

The victims were formally identified by the coroner as Paul Blackburn, 52, of Grange Avenue, Spofforth, Gerald Davitt, 42, a company director from Naburn, his father Laurence Davitt, 67, a retired taxi driver from Irwin Avenue, Heworth, and Kenneth Moore, 53, of Harrogate.

Mr Cave said great care had been taken with the bodies from the time they were removed from the scene up to the time they underwent post mortems.

The body of Laurence Davitt was identified by a ring showing a horse's head in a horseshoe, said Mr Cave.

"And he was also spotted loading and getting into the aircraft by a man well known to him," he said.

The identity of Gerald Davitt was confirmed from dental records, and by a friend who saw him sitting in the plane as it taxied and then took off. In addition, cards bearing his name were found in the wreckage.

Mr Blackburn was identified by a doctor checking medical records, and Kenneth Moore was seen by people at the airfield in the company of the Davitts.

His identity was further confirmed by a ring found on the body, and a wallet containing his personal effects at the scene.

Mr Cave concluded that all four men had died as the result of multiple injuries, and adjourned the inquest pending the report being put together by air accident investigators.

The full inquest may not commence for a year or more.

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