RELATIVES of a man killed when a light aircraft he was travelling crashed in a field near Writtle have paid tribute to him.

Simon Chamberlain, 29, from Harlow, was one of two men in the YAK 52 airplane which nosedived into a field in Cooksmill Green on Saturday afternoon.

The married father-of-one was described as a "keen flyer" and relatives said they loved him very much.

A statement read: "Lizzie, his wife, has lost her best friend and soul mate. His son, Charlie, who will be two years old in August, has lost his father.

“His parents, Paul and Steph, have lost a loving son. We love him more than anything the world.

"Our hearts also go out to the other person involved in this tragedy."

The pilot of the plane who also died in the crash is understood to be Andrew Sully, from Writtle.