County news: Police use drone to search for plane wreckage

Police officers are using a drone to search for more wreckage from a light aircraft which ditched into the sea off the Sussex coast yesterday afternoon (Saturday, August 6).
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Police news

Just after 5pm Sussex Police received a report from a member of the public that a plane had gone into the sea about half a mile off Winchelsea Beach, near Rye.

Coastguard helicopters and RNLI boats searched the area, but nobody was found and the search was called off at 10pm.

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This afternoon Sussex Police have revealed that the Cherokee aircraft comes from a local Aero Club based at Lydd Airport in Kent, and was being flown by a 44-year-old man, who is also from Kent.

Some wreckage believed to be from the aircraft was found by the Coastguard on Winchelsea Beach yesterday and has been removed to a secure location for examination by the Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB).

Sussex Police officers are continuing to monitor the shoreline for signs of anything which has come from the aircraft, using a Sussex Police Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), also known as a drone.

Sussex Police will also liaise with HM Coroner for East Sussex to report any information about any recovery of a body, with a view to a post-mortem and inquest in due course.

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Anyone who saw what happened, or who sees anything washed ashore over the coming days which may from the aircraft, is asked to contact Sussex Police on [email protected] or call 101 quoting Operation Ascot.

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