Two pilots have been confirmed dead while test running a light aircraft that crashed in a field near Ongar, Essex, minutes after taking off for a short flight experience in the city.
As gathered, the two-seat Cessna had taken off from North Weald airfield, about seven miles away, before crashing off Mill Lane, Ongar, causing panic among residents.
Eyewitnesses narrated that the tragedy occurred on Wednesday, at around 12:30 p.m., when members of the public reported the crash.
Confirming the death toll, the Essex Police disclosed that both occupants of the aircraft, who have not yet been formally identified, died at the scene.
Detective Chief Superintendent, Morgan Cronin of the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate said, “The two-seat Cessna aircraft was carrying out a short flight experience but sadly it did not return.”
Cronin added that the flight had been expected to last only a short time but crashed before achieving the purpose behind the initiative.
The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) confirmed that inspectors were dispatched to the crash site.
“An accident in Ongar, Essex involving a light aircraft which occurred today has been notified to the Air Accidents Investigation Branch. An investigation has been launched and a team of inspectors are on their way to the accident site,” a spokesman said.
Formal identification of the victims is yet to take place, while investigators continue to examine the circumstances surrounding the crash.
The tragedy has drawn attention to the risks associated with recreational flight experiences.