An inquest to establish how a former SAS Falklands veteran plunged to his death from a light aircraft over Oxfordshire has been opened.

Oxfordshire Coroner Nicholas Gardiner said he was satisfied the body of a man who fell from a Cessna 172 aircraft on January 8 was that of 45-year-old Charles Christian Cameron Bruce, who lived in the Costa Brava, Spain.

Mr Bruce's parents, Euan and Penelope, live in Gorse Way, Jaywick.

DC Alan Hillsdon, of Witney CID, said Mr Bruce's body was taken to Oxford's John Radcliffe Hospital where he identified Mr Bruce from a passport in his jacket pocket.

Fingerprints were taken which also confirmed Mr Bruce's identity.

The court heard the pilot of the twin-seater plane radioed a May Day call to report Mr Bruce had fallen from the aircraft, before landing at Brize Norton.

Police mounted a search and found his body in a sports field in Fifield, near Chipping Norton. Mr Bruce was certified dead at the scene at 5.35pm.

A post-mortem examination carried out the following day revealed Mr Bruce had died from multiple injuries.

Coroner's officer Brian Wallington said Mr Bruce's family, who were not present at the inquest, had applied for a cremation certificate.

Mr Gardiner said he saw no reason for the body not to be released after police confirmed the death was not being treated as suspicious. The inquest was adjourned.

Published Monday January 14, 2002