Inquest opens after BA engineer killed in Heathrow Airport crash

The inquest into the death of a British Airways engineer from Dorset killed in a two-vehicle crash at Heathrow has opened.

John Coles, 44, from Broadstone died after the van he was driving collided with an airside operations pick-up vehicle on the airfield shortly after 6am on Wednesday 14th February.

He went into cardiac arrest at the scene and was taken to Hillingdon Hospital but could not be saved.

At least 20 British Airways flights from Terminal 5 were delayed and passengers were ordered to leave an aircraft which was unable to take off because of the incident.

Acting senior coroner Sarah Ormond-Walshe opened the inquest into his death in a brief hearing at West London Coroner's Court on Thursday.

She said: "The police are investigating this case and therefore from my point of view the inquest is effectively stalled whilst the police carry out theirinvestigation."

No date for a further hearing was set.

The male driver of the pick-up van suffered a suspected broken shoulder in the crash.

No arrests have been made.