THE pilot of a light aircraft was killed when his plane crashed on the way to Rochester Airport.

The plane came down soon after take-off from High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire on Friday. He had left the town's airpark at 4pm on Friday and was reported missing after failing to arrive at Rochester.

All other UK airfields were informed and police began a land and air search. The body and wreckage were found in woodland near Marlow in Buckinghamshire by 11am next morning.

A spokesman for Rochester Air Traffic Control said: "The journey to Rochester

should only have taken just over an hour. As time passed concern for him grew."

The victim had been flying a Cessna 182 four-seater light aircraft and was believed to be alone. A spokesman for Thames Valley Police yesterday could not confirm the identity of the pilot.

Rochester Air Traffic Control said the aircraft was owned by John Hogg of Rochester. It is not known if Mr Hogg was flying the plane.

Thames Valley police and the Civil Aviation Authority's Aircraft Accident Investigation Branch are jointly investigating.