Villagers have been left 'extremely upset' after a light aircraft crash which saw a man in his 70s die. 

Police, fire and ambulance crews were called to the incident near the A131 in Pebmarsh, between Halstead and Sudbury, at about 9.25am on Monday.

A man in his 70s, the sole occupant of the aircraft, was found dead at the scene. 

On Tuesday, Pebmarsh Parish Council chairman Michael Sharp said of the incident: "Everyone in the village was extremely upset to hear of the tragic light aircraft crash that occurred on Monday morning. We would like to send our condolences to the family." 

Cllr Gabrielle Spray, who represents Colnes Ward at Braintree District Council, said: "I was shocked to hear news of the crash in Pebmarsh on Monday and saddened to hear of the tragic death of the pilot.

"My heartfelt thoughts go out to his family and friends at this difficult time"

Police officers continue to work alongside investigators with the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) to establish the circumstances around the incident and the road remained closed on Tuesday while investigations were carried out.

An AAIB spokesman said: "A light aircraft accident near Halstead, in Essex, was reported to the AAIB this morning and a team has been sent to the scene to investigate.”

Anyone with any information about the Pebmarsh crash is being asked to contact Essex Police, quoting the incident number 270 of August 21.

In March 2022, an 87-year-old pilot was killed in a light aircraft crash at Beccles Aerodrome. 

Peter Walker died in the accident, which happened while he was trying to land his aircraft - a single-person CT2K - that bounced twice as it touched down.

He was medically fit to fly and a post-mortem examination found no signs of impairment in the moments before the crash.

An inquiry by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch concluded that it was possible that some age-related deterioration in human performance was a factor in the accident.

On Thursday, July 6, a pilot was airlifted to hospital after a crash at Heveningham Hall. 

Police believe the pilot was attempting to land the plane at the time of the incident.

The airman was described as having 'serious injuries which were not believed to be life-threatening or life-changing,' by police following the crash, but had made a sufficient recovery by the weekend to be able to attend.