Pilot dead after light aircraft crashes in East Sussex

The pilot of a light aircraft which crashed in East Sussex has died, police have said.

He is believed to have died instantly and his next of kin have been informed.

Firefighters from multiple stations rushed to Herrings Lane, Heathfield, at around 11am on Tuesday.

Upon arrival they found a small aircraft that had crashed into a field. Fire crews extinguished a blaze at the scene.

A police spokesman later confirmed that the pilot of the light aircraft died in the crash.

Sussex Police said: "The pilot of a light aircraft sadly died when his plane crashed near Heathfield on Tuesday morning.

"Emergency services were called to the scene off Herrings Lane at 11.01am where the aircraft had caught fire after crashing.

"Unfortunately, the pilot is believed to have died instantly. His next-of-kin have been advised."

The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) has confirmed it is looking into the circumstances surrounding the crash.

A spokesperson said: “The AAIB has sent a team to investigate an accident involving a light aircraft which crashed this morning near Heathfield, East Sussex.”

The South East Coast Ambulance Service confirmed that “a number of resources” were sent to the scene.