British pilot is killed in crash during Italian flying competition

By ELIANA SILVER, SENIOR FOREIGN NEWS REPORTER Published: 13:01, 26 May 2026 | Updated: 13:11, 26 May 2026 A British glider pilot has died after his aircraft lost altitude and crashed into woodland during an international flying competition in northern Italy. Jon Gatfield, 68, crashed on the slopes of Monte Grem above the mountain town of Gorno in the Val del Riso area of Bergamo province, Lombardy, on May 25 during the FAI Sailplane Grand Prix, which had started earlier that day from Varese near the Swiss border. According to organisers, Jon had been flying alone in his motor glider when it suddenly began losing height at around 3.30pm for reasons that are still under investigation. Another pilot taking part in the race reportedly spotted the aircraft descending abnormally and raised the alarm. Rescue teams, including firefighters, mountain rescue crews and a helicopter emergency service, reached the crash site within minutes but Jon could not be saved. The experienced British pilot had been competing alongside 15 other glider pilots from across Europe in the international event. Reports said he had won the opening race of the competition the previous day after completing a 205-kilometre route in just over two hours. The second stage of the contest had begun from the Adele Orsi Aero Club in Varese at around 1pm and pilots were expected to complete a 250-kilometre course through the mountains before returning to the airfield. Picture shows Jon Gatefield in a photo shared by race organizers. He died in Bergamo province, Italy after his aircraft lost altitude and crashed into woodland Picture shows the crashed plane. Jon had been flying alone in his motor glider when it suddenly began losing height at around 3.30pm Witnesses hiking near Monte Grem said they initially watched several gliders circling above the mountains before realising something had gone wrong. One hiker said: 'I saw it fall and heard the crash.' Investigators are now examining whether the crash may have been caused by a medical emergency, a technical problem or pilot error. Carabinieri officers from Clusone opened an investigation under the supervision of prosecutor Giulia Angeleri. Italy's National Agency for Flight Safety also announced it would send inspectors to the scene. Competition organisers suspended the remaining races following the tragedy. In a statement, organisers said: 'It is with profound sadness that the FAI Sailplane Grand Prix organisation announces the tragic loss of British pilot Jon Gatfield during the opening of the 13th series in Varese.' The statement added: 'Despite the rapid and coordinated response, we lost a deeply respected friend and a devoted pilot.' Organisers also described Jon as a well-known figure in the international gliding community who had taken part in numerous European and world competitions over the years. The comments below have not been moderated. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.