EPPING Forest District Council offers condolences following the tragic news of a fatal aircraft incident at Hanningfield Reservoir in Chelmsford.

A Council Spokesperson said:

We are extremely saddened to hear of the tragic news of this fatal incident that occurred on Sunday at Hanningfield Reservoir. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of the person who lost his life in the accident.

We ask that you give the close-knit community associated with North Weald Airfield some space to comprehend what has happened and process this unfortunate event, news of this accident will have come as a shock to everyone.

We want to recognise the incredible dedication and professionalism of our emergency services, especially Essex Police, who work tirelessly, often in the most challenging circumstances.

We understand the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) has begun an investigation into the incident and we will comply fully with any requests made of us.

Once again, we offer our sincerest condolences following this tragic news.

On 30 December, Essex Police issued a statement that said:

Continuing work at Hanningfield Reservoir following an airplane crash has resulted in the recovery of a body.

We have been working with colleagues in the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) to locate an aircraft that entered the water on Sunday 28 December.

The private aircraft, a Beagle B121 Pup, departed North Weald Airfield just before 12pm that day.

It crashed in the reservoir, near Chelmsford, at around 2pm.

The crash site has been located following extensive work.

Sadly, on the afternoon of Tuesday 30 December, a man’s body was recovered by divers.

An identification procedure will be led by His Majesty’s Coroner.

The investigation has not identified any suspicious circumstances and a file is being prepared for the coroner.

Chief Superintendent Waheed Khan said: “I would firstly like to recognise that someone has lost their life in tragic circumstances. Our thoughts remain with everyone affected by this incident.

Work to formally identify this man will be undertaken sensitively with HM Coroner, and it is not right that we officially confirm his identity until this procedure is followed.

My officers, the AAIB and divers supporting from the Metropolitan Police Service continued to search the reservoir following activity late into Monday evening (29 December).

Our enquiries identified the specific area we believe the aircraft entered the water, and using sonar equipment under the water the teams methodically scanned the reservoir floor.

This has resulted in the discovery of debris and, crucially, a body.

We believe this is the body of the sole occupant of the aircraft and our search activity has therefore concluded.

As a result of further investigative work, we will be preparing a file for the coroner.

Responsibility for the reservoir and any required further recovery work will pass back to the owners of the site.

“I’d like to thank everyone for their patience while we carry this search out. This was highly-detailed work being carried out by specialists from across multiple agencies”.

A spokesperson for Essex and Suffolk Water said: “There has been no impact to customer water supplies and Essex & Suffolk water teams are managing the reservoir carefully to ensure that water quality and ecology are protected.

For further updates about this incident, please visit the Essex Police website: https://www.essex.police.uk/news/essex/news/news/2025/december/hanningfield-aircraft-incident/