A FEMALE pilot tragically died when her light aircraft crashed near Dunkeswell Airfield this morning, Friday, June 26.

Police were called shortly after 10am to the report of the crash near the airfield on the Blackdown Hills, close to the Devon-Somerset border.

Emergency services attended the scene.

The pilot was a woman in her 40s. Nobody else was on board. Her next of kin have been informed and the Air Accident Investigation Branch has been notified.

Superintendent Jo Arundale said: “We will be working closely with the Air Accident Investigation Branch to thoroughly investigate the circumstances surrounding the crash this morning.

“We recognise it is a very sad incident and we are appealing to the public not to speculate regarding the crash.

“Furthermore, we would like to ask anybody who may have relevant footage to get in touch with us and not to post it online.

"Our thoughts are with the friends and family of the person involved.”

Anybody with relevant footage is asked to call 101 or visit the police website quoting log 268 of June 26.