A man in his 70s has died after a light aircraft crashed in Essex on Monday morning, police have confirmed.
Essex police said the victim was found deceased at the scene in Pebmarsh Road, Halstead, when emergency services arrived at around 9:20am this morning.
He was the only person in the plane, police added.
A woman who saw the plane minutes before it crashed described seeing a “huge plume of smoke” in a statement to the BBC.
Essex police said it is currently investigating the circumstances of the crash, along with the Air Accidents Investigation Branch.
Their statement read: “Officers, alongside colleagues with the ambulance service and Essex Fire and Rescue Service, first responded to calls shortly before 9.30am this morning (Monday 21 August).
“Sadly, we are now in a position to confirm a man, aged in his 70s, was found deceased at the scene.
“He was the sole occupant of the aircraft.
“Officers continue to work alongside investigators with the Air Accidents Investigation Branch to establish the circumstances around this incident.”
The plane reportedly crashed near the Grade II listed Stanley Hall building in Pebmarsh Road, before it burst into flames.
A spokesperson for the Essex County Fire and Rescue Service told the BBC crews “quickly extinguished the fire”.
A woman, who lived nearby and waved at the aircraft from her back garden, described how the plane engine was travelling south west before before the engine went silent and she saw a “huge plume of smoke”.
The anonymous witness said she dialled 999 and reported the incident, adding: “This has been very upsetting and it has shaken us all.”
