Key Points
- Two people have died after a two-seat Cessna aircraft crashed in a field off Mill Lane, Ongar, Essex.
- The aircraft had taken off from North Weald Airfield, around seven miles from the crash site, on what was billed as a “short flight experience.”
- Essex Police say formal identification of the two victims has yet to take place.
- Detective Chief Superintendent Morgan Cronin, of the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate, is leading the investigation.
- Officers were alerted by members of the public at around 12.30pm on Tuesday, 30 June.
- Flight-tracking data from Flightradar24 shows the aircraft departed North Weald at 12.22pm and turned back towards the airfield roughly five minutes into the flight.
- Records show the aircraft had completed two flights earlier that day and five the day before.
- The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) is working alongside Essex Police forensic teams at the scene.
- Essex Police say they are also liaising with the fire service, North Weald Airfield and Epping Forest District Council.
- Police have appealed for witnesses to come forward as inquiries continue at the site over the coming days.
Essex (Britain Today News) July 01, 2026 – Two people have died after a light aircraft crashed in a field in Essex, police have confirmed, with formal identification of the victims yet to take place.
The two-seat Cessna aircraft came down in a field off Mill Lane, near Ongar, having taken off from North Weald Airfield roughly seven miles away. Essex Police say the flight was described as a “short flight experience” and that the aircraft failed to return.
What happened during the Essex light aircraft crash?
Essex Police confirmed the crash took place on the afternoon of Tuesday, 30 June, after the two-seat Cessna departed North Weald Airfield. Detective Chief Superintendent Morgan Cronin, of the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate, said:
“Yesterday lunchtime, Tuesday, June 30, a small aircraft took off from North Weald airfield on what was expected to be a short journey. The two-seat Cessna aircraft was carrying out a short flight experience but sadly it did not return.”
He confirmed both people on board died in the crash:
“At 12.30pm we were contacted by members of the public who reported a small aircraft had crashed in a field off Mill Lane, Ongar. Sadly we can now confirm that the two people on board have died.”
Where exactly did the plane crash?
The aircraft came down in a field off Mill Lane, close to the town of Ongar in the Epping Forest district of Essex. The location sits several miles south-east of North Weald Airfield, from where the flight had departed shortly before the crash.
What has Essex Police said about the identification of the victims?
Officers confirmed that formal identification of the two people who died has not yet taken place. Essex Police said that, given the nature of the incident, this is likely to be a “complex process,” and no further details about the identities of those on board have been released at this stage.
What type of aircraft was involved in the crash?
The aircraft was a two-seat Cessna, a type of light aircraft commonly used across the UK for pilot training, private flying and short pleasure or “experience” flights. North Weald Airfield, where the flight originated, hosts several flying schools and operators offering trial lessons and short flights in aircraft of this kind.
Where had the aircraft taken off from?
The flight began at North Weald Airfield, an operational general aviation aerodrome in the civil parish of North Weald Bassett, within the Epping Forest district of Essex. The airfield, roughly seven miles from the crash site, is a well-established general aviation hub. It began life in 1916 as a Royal Flying Corps station and became a fighter base during the Battle of Britain, before transitioning to civilian use after the RAF withdrew in the 1960s. Today it hosts flight training schools, private aircraft, the Essex & Herts Air Ambulance and a base for the National Police Air Service, alongside operators offering trial and pleasure flights in light aircraft such as Cessnas.
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What does flight-tracking data show about the plane’s route?
According to data from the flight-tracking website Flightradar24, the aircraft departed North Weald Airfield at 12.22pm. It headed eastwards before turning back towards the airfield around five minutes later. The aircraft did not complete the return leg of the flight before it crashed in the field off Mill Lane.
Had the aircraft been used for other flights recently?
Flightradar24 data indicates the aircraft had already operated two flights earlier on the day of the crash, and a further five flights the previous day, suggesting it had been in regular use for short flight experiences in the period immediately before the accident.
Who is investigating the crash?
The investigation is being led by Essex Police’s Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate, with Detective Chief Superintendent Morgan Cronin overseeing inquiries. He said the investigation had continued through the night, with detectives and forensic teams working at the scene alongside the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB), the specialist body responsible for investigating civil aviation accidents in the UK. DCS Cronin added that police were also working with the fire service, North Weald Airfield and Epping Forest District Council “to build an accurate picture of what happened.”
Has North Weald Airfield seen previous incidents?
North Weald Airfield has recorded a small number of aviation incidents over the years. Publicly available accident records show a mid-air collision at the airfield in 2000 resulted in three fatalities, while a 2010 incident saw a light aircraft crash into a parked car during a landing attempt; the pilot and the car’s occupants survived that crash. The airfield remains an active general aviation site, recording tens of thousands of aircraft movements annually.
What happens next in the investigation?
DCS Cronin said officers would remain at the scene carrying out inquiries over the coming days, working in parallel with the AAIB’s forensic examination of the wreckage. He appealed directly for witnesses to come forward, saying anyone who saw the aircraft in the moments before the crash, or who has relevant information, should contact Essex Police. Formal identification of the two victims is expected to follow in due course, with next of kin to be informed once this process is complete.
