THE mother of a pilot killed when his Puma helicopter crashed in North Yorkshire said her son may have sacrificed his life to save others on board.

Flight Lieutenant David Sale and crewman Sergeant Phillip Burford died in the accident, near Catterick, on August 8.

Private Sean Tait of the Royal Regiment of Scotland, one of nine soldiers on board the aircraft, died later from injuries sustained when the helicopter crashed while on a routine training exercise.

Flt Lt Sale's mother, Valerie, said: "I would like to think he did his level best to save the others and he lost his life to save others.

"We are immensely proud of him.

"His father is absolutely gutted.

"We as a family have sent our sympathy to his batman. I have not spoken to the family of the soldier, but wish all those who were injured a speedy recovery.'' The day before the helicopter crashed near Catterick Garrison, the flight lieutenant took two "rookie" pilots on a training sortie - landing on the hockey field at Norton, near Stockton - only yards from the family's first home in Junction Road.

They now live in another part of the suburb.

Flt Lt Sale's parents were not able to meet their son - but watched the chopper touch down on the field long enough for the pupil pilots to change over - before taking off again.

Mrs Sale said: "He was only here on the Monday, he was doing a sortie with two rookie pilots and landed at Norton. We went down to the sports club and watched from the bridge. We saw him coming in and we saw him land. He was there for about a minute to two minutes. The next day he was dead."

She said of the crash: "He could not have been killed nearer home."

Her son is to be given a full military funeral at St Mary's Church, on the green, in Norton, on Wednesday. More than 100 RAF personnel and friends will attend.

Mrs Sale said: "I was staggered at the number of friends he had.

"He was very out going and he became quite a connoisseur of red wine."

She recalled: "He was the life and soul and was a great teller of jokes. His name was Jackanory.

"He loved shaggy dog tales. He had a very dry wit."

David went to the private Red House School on Norton Green, from there to Yarm School and then to Durham University.

Mrs Sale said: "He was a great hockey player, he was a goal keeper and only latterly started to play out of goal. He was a good golfer. He played hockey and golf representing the RAF. He was a great squash player and had the odd game of cricket.'' Flt Lt Sale was close to his 29year-old brother, Tom, who is "devastated'' by the tragedy, although the family did not see much of their pilot.

Mrs Sale said: "We hardly ever saw him."

An RAF Board of Inquiry into the crash has been suspended and taken over by North Yorkshire Police, who say "there is no evidence to suggest there has been any third party involvement".