Ryanair pilot, 25, killed when hot air balloon plummeted to ground after ‘trying to gain competitive edge in race’

A “PASSIONATE” pilot killed when his hot air balloon plummeted during a race could have made a deadly move as he tried to win.

Peter Gregory, 25, tragically died when his craft came crashing to the ground in June last year.

Horror photos showed his balloon in the air moments before it fell hundreds of feet engulfed in flames.

Witnesses told of watching on helplessly as they saw “a fireball” coming from a blue balloon as it plunged.

Tributes quickly poured in for the “driven and determined” Ryanair pilot after the tragedy in near the Worcester Balloon Festival in Ombersley, Worcestershire.

Peter had been taking part in a British Ballooning and Airship Club competition, and a probe has now found his efforts to get ahead could have caused his death.

An investigation found the 25-year-old’s balloon could have dropped from the sky after he “tried to gain a competitive edge”.

Peter had wanted to compete internationally, and this had been an opportunity to collect more points after missing competitions due to work.

The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) detailed how the balloon had been climbing away from a target which the pilot had to drop a marker as part of the competition.

The probe found Peter’s balloon, which he had built himself, had climbed rapidly before its envelope – the outer layer – collapsed as a parachute inside it stalled.

It found that he may have used a high rate of climb to “gain a competitive edge because of his desire to do well in the competition”.

The report said that the climb, the craft’s design and weather conditions – which were windy that day – likely contributed to the horror crash.

Peter, who had been dubbed a “very safe pilot” but was “competitive and wanted to win”, had travelled across the world competing for years.

He had built his own racing balloon “high quality materials”, the AAIB said. 

However, amateur balloons like Peter’s are unregulated in terms of airworthiness. 

The AAIB said lines used to control the parachute’s position were attached to the envelope lower than on other balloon types.

They said this gave better responsiveness but increased the stalling risk.

The horror unfolded around 6.20am on June 25, 2023.

The day after the crash, Peter’s loved ones have paid tribute to him, saying their “driven and determined” son died doing what he loved.

The heartbroken family said: “Peter Gregory, 25 years of living life to the full.

“On the morning of Sunday 25th June, our Pilot Pete took one last flight, doing what he loved.

“Be it in a hot air balloon or as an Airline Pilot, Peter’s passion for flying was something his family and friends could only admire and support him towards.

“When he set his heart to something, he’d never give up, he was driven and determined, and one could only watch on in awe.

“We will fly together again soon Pete. We love you Dan, Mummy, Daddy & Emma.”

Peter had been a first officer with Ryanair for seven months.

According to his Linkedin, He had been flying passenger hot air balloons around the UK for more than a year.

One witness told the Mirror: “Suddenly there was a flash and what looked like a fireball coming from a blue balloon and it just dropped like a stone.

“We called the emergency services but had difficulty getting through on the 999 number because it was down.

” It was a terrible thing to see.”