A Norfolk pilot died after he crashed his plane into trees during foggy conditions, an investigation has found.
Gerald Dennis Morgan, 72, had set off alone in a Piper PA-28-180 from Old Buckenham Airfield to fly to Earls Colne, Essex, to attend an aviation training course.
However, as he approached his destination, he encountered adverse weather conditions.
Mr Morgan, a retired chartered accountant from Brundall, attempted to head back to Norfolk but his aircraft, registration G-AYUH, twice struck trees before coming down in a field close to Stanley Hall, a Grade II-listed property in Pebmarsh, near the Essex-Suffolk border.
Following the crash, the Air Accidents Investigation Branch has recommended that the Civil Aviation Authority publish guidance for pilots on how to respond to "unexpected weather deterioration".
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"The meteorological conditions would have presented a severe test of his flying skills, with a high risk that the pilot would become spatially disorientated," the report said.
A report by AAIB investigators found that Mr Morgan, who owned the aircraft as part of a syndicate, had phoned Earls Colne the night the flight before to get permission to land.
He was urged to call again in the morning to get an update on conditions there, but there is no evidence he did so.
He took off from Norfolk in good conditions just before 8am on August 21 last year for the 25-minute flight.
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As he neared his destination, Mr Morgan, who had flown the same route four days earlier, called Earls Colne but was not notified of the reduced visibility and low cloud.
Minutes later, as he ran into fog, he told the airfield he was heading back to Old Buckenham.
His aircraft came down shortly afterwards. Emergency services were called to the area, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
A POPULAR PILOT
Mr Morgan had had a pilot's licence since 1979, which was renewed in 2014, and had flown a total of 407 hours. His aircraft was made in 1970.
He had been a member of various flying clubs, including Seething Airfield Club where he was treasurer for many years.
A spokesman for the club said: "Dennis, as we called him, was a very good club member who was always keen to help by going above and beyond.
"Whether it involved getting his hands dirty doing jobs or doing jobs in the office, he was never deterred and it simply did not matter what the task was.
"We are all very sad about the incident and the club misses his contributions dearly."
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