Two Dead After Plane Crashes During Flight Experience

A short trial flight booked as a birthday treat or bucket-list experience ended in a field outside a small Essex village, with two people confirmed dead.

The two-seat Cessna aircraft came down near Mill Lane in High Ongar, Essex, at around 12:30pm on Tuesday. It had taken off from North Weald Airfield, roughly seven miles away, on what police describe as a short flight experience.

What Police Have Confirmed

Det Ch Supt Morgan Cronin, from the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate, said the aircraft "took off from North Weald airfield on what was expected to be a short journey" but "sadly it did not return." Members of the public alerted police after witnessing the aircraft go down in the field.

"Sadly we can now confirm that the two people on board have died," Cronin said. "Formal identification has yet to take place."

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A Trial Flight Booked Through North Weald

North Weald Airfield offers public trial flight experiences in Cessna aircraft, with prices starting at £235. Marketing on the airfield's website describes passengers sitting in the front seat with access to "dual flight controls under the guidance of your fully certified and highly skilled flight instructor."

Flight-tracking data shows the aircraft had already completed two flights earlier on Tuesday before the fatal third flight, which lasted eight minutes before the plane came down near High Ongar.

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Investigation Now Underway

The Air Accidents Investigation Branch has classified the crash as an "accident" and confirmed its inspectors' inquiries are ongoing. Investigators remained at the scene into Wednesday and are expected to continue examining the site over the coming days.

Cronin said identifying the victims and establishing what happened is likely to be "a complex process," adding that police will approach the investigation "sensitively and compassionately" for the families involved.

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The Local Response

Police are speaking with the members of the public who called emergency services and witnessed the crash, describing it as a distressing incident for the community. St Mary's Church in the village posted on Facebook asking residents to pray "for everyone involved, for the emergency services responding and for all those in our local community who have been affected."

What Happens Next

Formal identification of the victims has not yet taken place, and police have not released further details about who was on board. The AAIB investigation will determine the cause of the crash, a process that in similar light-aircraft incidents has typically taken months to conclude.

TL;DR

• Two people died when a Cessna aircraft crashed near High Ongar, Essex, on Tuesday

• The plane was on a short flight experience from North Weald Airfield

• The Air Accidents Investigation Branch has launched an ongoing inquiry

• Formal identification of the victims has not yet taken place

• The aircraft had completed two earlier flights that day before the fatal crash

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