A PILOT flying a private light aircraft that crashed may have died before the aircraft went down in a field near Bladon, an accident report has said.

A post mortem examination showed that pilot Anthony Corr, 55, had severe coronary heart disease.

An Air Accidents Investigation Branch report said there was “evidence to suggest that he may have been incapacitated, or died, prior to the collision with the ground” of the Piper PA aircraft over Bladon on January 15.

The AAIB said it was likely father-of-two Mr Corr, from Stratford-upon-Avon, had become incapacitated soon after his last radio transmission during the flight which had taken off from Oxford Airport.

The report said it was likely that some time after that the passenger, Richard Leonard – who was also killed in the crash and who was a qualified private pilot – had taken control and attempted to fly the aircraft.

The AAIB added that father-of-two Mr Leonard, who was in his mid-40s and was from Chipping Norton, had not flown the aircraft before and was unprepared to take over.