The family of a young Longridge pilot who died when her glider's wings came off, sending the aircraft crashing to the ground, will hear the details of her final moments at her inquest today.

Amy Barsby, 25, was taking part in a competition at Bicester Airfield, Oxfordshire, when her glider descended from a height of between 600ft and 1,000ft.

Her boyfriend Bruce Duncan was among those watching as the tragedy unfolded on the afternoon of August 8, 2010.

An air accident report later said a failed bolt led to the wings detaching from the fuselage.

Ms Barsby had been taking part in a week-long university gliding competition.

She started gliding in July 2001 and had accumulated more than 226 flying hours in 531 flights.

She had graduated from Edinburgh University and was studying at Queen's University, Belfast.

Ms Barsby had been studying the links between trace elements in soils and waters and human diseases, specifically cancer, and was described by her colleagues in Belfast as "a gentle and well-liked young woman who loved and actively pursued both academic research and sporting interests".

The inquest is to be held at Oxford Coroner's Court.