Nicola Wright, a 44-year-old mother of four, has died after the light aircraft she was piloting crashed near Dunkeswell Airfield in Devon. Emergency services arrived shortly after 10am on Friday, 26 June, but she was declared dead at the scene.
Family pays heartfelt tribute
Nicola, from Dorset, has been remembered by her family as an "incredible mother who lived life with an adventurous spirit." In a statement, they said: "Nicola was an incredible mother to her four children, a wife, daughter, sister and much-loved friend to many. She was the heart of the family and will be missed beyond words."
The family highlighted her achievements: "She was an accomplished aerobatic pilot, skydiver, diver and mountaineer who climbed Mount Kilimanjaro earlier this year. She approached everything she did with passion and courage."
Professional life and impact
Nicola served as HR director at Medisave, a global medical and pharmaceutical distributor. Her family noted: "She was a vital part of building Medisave alongside the founders, Graham Wright, her husband and Melissa Denton her longtime friend."
Devon and Cornwall Police are working with the Air Accident Investigation Branch to examine the fatal incident. The airfield, situated in the Blackdown Hills about 14 miles northeast of Exeter, was a US naval base during World War II and claims to be the highest licensed airfield in the UK at 839 feet (255 metres) above sea level.
Family requests privacy
Police confirmed that Nicola's family are utterly heartbroken and have asked for their privacy to be respected during this difficult period of mourning.
