Pilot killed in UK plane crash

A pilot was killed when his single-seater aircraft crashed shortly after take-off in the UK today.

A man in his 50s died when the privately-owned light aircraft crashed at Fenland Airfield near Spalding, Lincolnshire Police said.

A spokesman for the airfield at Holbeach St Johns said the light aircraft crashed in a field belonging to a nearby farm after taking off shortly after 11am.

He described the incident as a “tragedy” and said airfield staff were trying to trace relatives of the pilot.

“There are police and ambulance staff here now – it is a tragedy and we are doing what we can,” he added.