Fears for pilot as light aircraft crashes in field near small Essex village

Published: 09:23, 1 July 2026 | Updated: 09:23, 1 July 2026 Emergency services are at the scene of a plane crash in an Essex village, where a light aircraft crashed in a field, prompting fears for the pilot.  A cordon has been set up in Ongar as Essex Police said they were called to the scene at 12.30pm to reports of a crash involving a small aircraft in a field at Mill Lane.  Police are currently working with other emergency services at the scene. The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) confirmed a crew of responders has been sent to the scene.  An AAIB spokesperson said: 'An accident in Ongar, Essex involving a light aircraft which occurred today has been notified to the Air Accidents Investigation Branch. 'An investigation has been launched and a team of inspectors are on their way to the accident site.' Detective Chief Superintendent Morgan Cronin of Essex Police, said: 'This is a serious incident, and we understand it will cause concern in the local community.  the light aircraft came down in a field off Mill Lane, High Ongar, at about 12:30 BST on Tuesday The Air Accidents Investigation Branch described the crash as an 'accident' and sent inspectors to the site 'We are working closely with emergency service partners to respond and ensure the area is safe. There will be a visible police presence as we deal with this incident.' A spokesperson added: 'We would ask residents to avoid Mill Lane while this work continues and thank them for their patience and understanding. 'We will provide further updates as soon as we are able.' Essex Police is due to provide updates on the condition of anybody on board the plane later today. In a post on Facebook, the village's St Mary's Church said: 'Please join us in praying for everyone involved, for the emergency services responding and for all those in our local community who have been affected.' No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.