Pilot who killed himself and 13-year-old boy in plane crash was high on Ecstasy

Robbie Gunter, 34, stalled the Cessna plane two minutes after taking off with schoolboy Jamie Clapp, a family friend, on board.

It then plummeted 200ft to the ground and burst into flames.

Jamie Clapp (left) and Robbie Gunter died after the Cessna 150 fell to the ground

Gordon Clapp is raising funds for a skateboard park in his son's memory

An official investigation into the accident yesterday revealed Mr Gunter, a Christian missionary, had taken the Class A drug just hours before the flight.

The news provoked a furious reaction from the dead boy's family, who hit out at the authorities for allowing the pilot to fly again having previously revoked his licence.

Following the crash last July friends paid tribute to Mr Gunter, originally from Greenock, near Glasgow, as a kind-hearted man who was a devout Christian.

But a year-long probe by the Air Accident Investigation Branch revealed he had a level of Ecstasy in his blood higher than a recreational dose, which is typically 100 to 125mg.

Jamie's father Gordon Clapp, 65, said yesterday: 'I just can't believe it  -  I thought Rob was an ordinary decent guy. I'm disgusted that he could take Ecstasy and take my son into the air.'

The retired dock worker from Mangotsfield, Bristol, added: 'We were friends and I didn't think for a minute he was a drug-taker.

'He was a practising Christian and did missionary work. He never seemed like that sort of person, I never even saw him drunk.' The report released this week said Mr Gunter was likely to have taken the drug within a few hours of the flight'.

'This may have impaired both his judgment and his ability to complete complex tasks, reducing his ability to operate the aircraft safely.'

It also revealed that he had had only 90 minutes' flying since gaining his licence in 2002.

Cessna 150: Type of plane which stalled seconds after Robbie Gunter and Jamie Clapp took off

In late 2006 flight, authorities even revoked his solo-pilot privileges after he experienced navigational difficulties.

He did not tell Jamie's parents the licence was reinstated just four days before the fatal voyage.

The flight took off from Clutton Hill airfield near Bristol shortly after 3pm on July 8, 2007. The pilot then made contact with radio controllers but broke off abruptly as the two-seater Cessna stalled.

Mr Clapp, who is divorced from Jamie's mother, said: 'Why the hell, if he was that bad at flying planes, was he given a licence?'

He said the authorities were partly to blame 'because it was clear that he wasn't up to it, especially with the navigation'.