LONDON, Mar 30: Two persons, including the pilot, have been killed when a light aircraft crashed into a field in a rural area in the UK, officials said.
Emergency services were alerted to a major incident that a plane had gone down in Essex, a home county north-east of London, last evening.
“Two people have died after a YAK 52 light aircraft was seen to be in difficulties and then crashed into a field off the A414 near Cooksmill Green (between Writtle and Ongar) around 2.55pm today,” a spokeswoman said yesterday.
“Emergency services rushed to the scene and fire crews extinguished the fire caused when the plane crashed. Two men, a pilot and his passenger – both from Essex, were on board. The plane had flown out from North Weald airfield.”
The spokeswoman said that officials were in the process of locating and informing next of kin.
The aircraft was “completely alight” when firefighters arrived at the scene near Cooksmill Green, said Essex Fire and Rescue Service.
“On arrival the incident commander reported that the plane was completely alight. Crews used foam and had extinguished the fire by 3.55pm,” a spokesman said.
The Air Accidents Investigation Branch said officials have been sent to investigate the cause of the crash.
In April 2011, two people were killed when a Yak 52 aircraft from North Weald crashed near Langford, east of Chelmsford.
Instructor Simon Hulme, 33, and his 43-year-old student Spencer Bennett, were killed in the accident. They were on the last day of a three-day formation flying school course when the aircraft plummeted from 1,800 ft into a lake. (AGENCIES)
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