Microlight man's fatal last journey

Rescue services launched a land, air and river search for Sam Strukelj and the Raven X microlight after he failed to return from a training flight on Friday afternoon.

Mr Strukelj, of Selwyn Avenue, Wick, had set off from Rochester Airport in Kent at 1.45pm on Friday afternoon in the black and yellow Raven X microlight but did not return at 4pm as expected.

Police said he was on his own in the aircraft at the time.

As soon as Mr Strukelj failed to return from his flight, the alarm was raised and a search began.

Kent Police led the search on the ground, coastguards checked the River Thames and the Medway and marshes around the Isle of Sheppey.

An RAF helicopter from Wattisham Airfield in Suffolk equipped with a heat sensor flew over the area to search for the missing pilot.

The aircraft and Mr Strukelj's body were discovered near the village of Cliffe on the Hoo Peninsula in north Kent on Saturday.

The inquiry into the accident has been taken over by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) and the wreckage has been moved to its headquarters in Farnborough for investigation.

A Kent coroner opened his inquest into the death today (Thursday).

David Stewart from the AAIB confirmed that an investigation is underway but was likely to take several months to complete.