It was just after midday on the first day of June, when the UK's Newmarket racecourse became the latest venue for a tragic accident involving a corporate aircraft and some of the world's better known sporting personalities.

Piper Seneca registration G-BMNT crashed into the ground just beyond the famous Devil's Dyke, killing pilot Patrick Mackey and injuring passengers Frankie Dettori and Ray Cochrane.

European Business Air News spoke to Newmarket Jockey Club spokesman Peter Amos, regarding the events of that day. Amos said: "I was there about seven minutes after the accident, when it was still just a ball of fire and black smoke. It had taken off from the airstrip that belongs to the Jockey Club Estate, and then crashed on the training grounds.

"One fire appliance had arrived about two minutes ahead of me and the crew were obviously engaged in arresting the fire."Newmarket director of racing Nick Lees had arrived and had got Ray Cochrane in the back seat of his vehicle. Frankie was lying on the turf alongside the vehicle, being attended to by a paramedic. He was breathing oxygen through a mouthpiece at the time, and as I lit up a cigarette, he had the presence of mind to look up at me and say: "Captain, what I'm breathing is better for me than what you're about to breathe. He had a grin from ear to ear."

Of pilot Patrick Mackey, Amos said: "It's just so desperately sad that Patrick died. Everybody who I've spoken to who has flown with Patrick, has described him as a thoroughly professional guy who was meticulous in everything he did."Regarding the actual crash, Newmarket racecourse spokesperson Tammy Pick said: "They were taking off, they didn't get very high off the ground, they banked right, just missed the Devil's Dyke and then crashed into the ground. First on the scene were two of our ground staff and then captain Captain Lees, our director of racing.

"They tried to get the pilot out. Unfortunately they couldn't because the plane was on fire and the pilot died."About 50 yards from the plane, they found Frankie Dettori and Ray Cochrane cuddled on the floor, trying to protect themselves from the smoke and the fire."

The Piper Seneca, believed to be Dettori's 'regular aircraft', had just left the July course air strip when the accident occurred. It was on its way to Goodwood in West Sussex where the jockeys were due to race.