Man’s body recovered from Essex reservoir after small plane crash
A light aircraft crashed into the water at around 2pm on Sunday
A man’s body has been recovered from Hanningfield Reservoir after a small plane crashed into the water on Sunday, Essex Police said.
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A light aircraft crashed near Hanningfield Reservoir in Essex at around 2pm on Sunday, sparking a major incident and forcing a reservoir to close.
Essex police have been working with colleagues in the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) to locate the aircraft that entered the water on December 28.
The private aircraft, a Beagle B121 Pup, departed North Weald Airfield just before 12pm that day.
The crash site has been located following extensive work, and sadly, on the afternoon of Tuesday 30 December, a man’s body was recovered by divers.
An identification process will be led by His Majesty’s Coroner in due time.
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The investigation has not identified any suspicious circumstances and a file is being prepared for the coroner.
Chief Superintendent Waheed Khan said: “I would firstly like to recognise that someone has lost their life in tragic circumstances. Our thoughts remain with everyone affected by this incident.
“Work to formally identify this man will be undertaken sensitively with HM Coroner, and it is not right that we officially confirm his identity until this procedure is followed.
“My officers, the AAIB and divers supporting from the Metropolitan Police Service continued to search the reservoir following activity late into Monday evening (29 December).
“Our enquiries identified the specific area we believe the aircraft entered the water, and using sonar equipment under the water the teams methodically scanned the reservoir floor.
“This has resulted in the discovery of debris and, crucially, a body.
“We believe this is the body of the sole occupant of the aircraft and our search activity has therefore concluded.
“As a result of further investigative work, we will be preparing a file for the coroner.
“Responsibility for the reservoir and any required further recovery work will pass back to the owners of the site.
“I’d like to thank everyone for their patience while we carry this search out. This was highly-detailed work being carried out by specialists from across multiple agencies.”
A spokesperson for Essex and Suffolk Water said: “There has been no impact to customer water supplies and Essex & Suffolk water teams are managing the reservoir carefully to ensure that water quality and ecology are protected.”