Pilot killed in Essex aircraft crash named

The pilot flying the light aircraft that crashed in Essex has been named.

Andrew Sully, who worked for British Airways, and Simon Chamberlain, 29, died in Saturday afternoon’s crash near Chelmsford.

The Yak 52 plane they were travelling in got into difficulties at around 2.55pm on Saturday after flying out of North Weald airfield near Chelmsford.

Witnesses described how the training aircraft had been attempting a somersault before going down and bursting into flames in a rural area between Ongar and Writtle.

Mr Chamberlain’s family said in a statement: “Lizzie, his wife, has lost her best friend and soulmate. His son, Charlie, who will be two years old in August, has lost his father. And his parents, Paul and Steph, have lost a loving son. We love him more than anything in the world.

“Our hearts also go out to the other person involved in this tragedy.”

Last night a spokesman for the Air Accident Investigation Branch confirmed that representatives had been sent to the scene of the crash.

Paul Aston, from the church at Cooksmill, said: “It sounded just like a road traffic accident. There was the sound of a light aircraft, then this crump and then silence.

“There wasn’t a bang. We have lots of light aircraft fly over us, it’s nothing abnormal.”