A PARAMOTOR pilot who crashed into a field has died in hospital.

The man, Tim Wyeth, 32, suffered severe injuries when he plummeted to the ground.

He was taken to Southampton General Hospital with head injuries but has since died, a spokesman for the central Hampshire coroner said last night.

A post-mortem was due to be carried out at the Royal Hampshire County Hospital on Wednesday and the inquest was due to open on either Thursday or Friday.

The crash happened close to a beer, balloon and cricket festival being held in Cheriton, near Winchester, on Saturday, August 29.

Mr Wyeth, fence erector, of Orchard Dean, Alresford, died on Friday.

Tom Keene, a paramotor pilot from Winchester, said: “It’s always desperately upsetting for a paramotor pilot to pass away in such a tragic accident.

“While it’s a fantastic hobby, it does have certain inherent dangers.”

The 39-year-old, of Badger Farm, said his thoughts went out to the pilot’s friends and family and those at the festival.

He added: “It’s not very nice when you go out to a village festival and see someone get horribly injured in front of you.

“I have seen a pilot die in front of me and it was horrible.

“I hope there’s a good investigation now to determine the causes of the accident so others can learn from it.”

Mark Dale, a technical manager at the British Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association, confirmed an investigation was underway on behalf of the Air Accident Investigation Branch.

He said: “We would expect a report in two to three months time but that’s assuming nothing curious is discovered that requires specific research.”

Eyewitnesses at the festival said the pilot had taken off and reached about 100 feet before developing engine trouble and crashing back down to the ground.