Pilot dies in light aircraft crash
Roads in the immediate area are closed, police say
- Published
A pilot has died in a light aircraft crash at an industrial estate in Derbyshire.
Emergency services said the plane came down in land off Sheepbridge Lane, Chesterfield, shortly after 09:00 BST.
Firefighters from Chesterfield, Clay Cross and Staveley were in attendance at Dunston Industrial Estate, as well as Derbyshire Police and East Midlands Ambulance Service.
Police said the pilot, a 71-year-old man, was the only person on board, and his family had been informed.
The light aircraft came down next to a yard, says a reporter at the scene
An investigation into the circumstances was ongoing, officers said.
The force wrote in a statement: "Roads in the immediate area are closed and will remain shut for some time."
Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service had asked people to avoid the area while emergency services dealt with the incident.
At 11:30 BST, the fire service said it had left the scene and handed over to police.
The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) has launched in investigation into the crash.
It said in a statement issued on Sunday: "An investigation has begun into an accident involving a light aircraft which occurred on 1 September near Chesterfield, Derbyshire.
"A team of inspectors has been sent to the accident site to gather evidence and make enquiries."
At the scene
Oli Constable, BBC reporter
It’s down a small road in between industrial units, where you can just about see fire engines, police cars and ambulances.
It’s next to this yard where this light aircraft came down.
Thankfully from the road you can’t see the plane, but there’s lots of police officers here who are working with the other emergency services to make the area safe.
People are coming up to the edge of the road just to take a look, some bringing their young children. One man had a pair of binoculars around his neck.
According to flight-tracking website Flightradar24, external, the plane took off from Coal Aston airfield, near Dronfield.
The website indicated the plane was a two-seater Evektor SportStar, which its manufacturer said is typically used by flight schools.
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