Light aircraft pilot dies in crash on industrial estate in Derbyshire

A pilot has died after a light aircraft crashed into an industrial estate in Derbyshire.

Emergency services were called to reports that an aircraft had come down in Chesterfield on Sunday morning.

Derbyshire police confirmed that the pilot was the only person onboard and had died in the crash. His family has been informed. The force said an investigation into the circumstances was under way.

Data from the website Flightradar showed that the last signal received from the aircraft was at 8.03am on Sunday at an altitude of 600ft (180 metres). The aircraft, believed to be an Evektor SportStar built in 2022, appeared to have been in the air for less than 10 minutes. It had twice circled the village of Old Whittington, two miles north of Chesterfield, before coming down on Sheepbridge Lane.

Police had sealed off roads surrounding a municipal depot run by Veolia UK as emergency services responded to the incident.

A spokesperson for Derbyshire fire and rescue said: “Fire control operators received a call at 09.05 hours today [Sunday 1 September] and mobilised fire crews from Chesterfield, Clay Cross and Staveley fire stations to the scene. Colleagues from Derbyshire police and East Midlands ambulance service are also in attendance. People are asked to avoid the area while emergency services deal with the incident.”