THE funeral of tragic York trainee pilot Lisa Knaggs will take place tomorrow.

The 21-year-old, who was following her dream of learning to fly, died after crashing a Cessna 172-aircraft during take-off in Florida.

Lisa's body was flown back to the UK earlier this week and formally identified by her family.

A spokesman for Leeds coroner's office said an inquest was being opened and adjourned at 10am today by West Yorkshire coroner David Hinchliff.

Lisa's mother, Julie Smith, 44, who now lives in Leeds, said the family had been inundated with cards and messages of support.

"People are just devastated - Lisa was such a lovely girl," she said. "Everyone has just showered their love on us and given us their thoughts about Lisa."

Lisa, formerly of West Pit Lane, Strensall, was only days away from receiving her official private pilot's licence.

The former pupil of Escrick and Huntington schools used to work at Clarks shoe shop, at Monks Cross, and later as an assistant manager at Clinton Cards, in Coney Street, York. Lisa's fianc, Craig Cooper, a trainee manager at Asda at Monks Cross, planned to travel to Florida to visit her.

The Cessna crash is subject to an investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration in the US.

Julie said: "We've been told by the investigators that it will be six to nine months before they will know anything."

The Cessna plane Lisa was flying had been leased to the flight school that she was attending.

Her funeral takes place at Rawdon Crematorium, Leeds, tomorrow, at 1.40pm.

Updated: 10:57 Thursday, November 03, 2005