The missing pilot of the Piper light aircraft that crashed into the sea off Winchelsea Beach on Saturday August 6, has been found still strapped in to the cockpit of his plane.
Initially the search by lifeboats and Coastguard for the pilot, Simon Wells of Greatstone, Kent, was called off at dusk, but was resumed the next day and on the following Wednesday, August 10 the remains of the plane - largely intact - were found on the sea bed.
Recovery was a carefully planned operation and with the assistance of specialists from the Ministry of Defence, was carried out on Sunday August 13. The body of Mr Wells was taken to Rye and the plane was landed at Newhaven from where it was transfered to the Air Accident Investigation Branch headquarters at Farnborough where it is being examined to try and establish the cause of the accident.
Photo: library
