North East pilot and passenger killed in plane crash on Queen's Sandringham Estate

A pilot and passenger killed when their light aircraft crashed on the Queen's Sandringham Estate in Norfolk have been named.

Pilot Nigel Dodds, aged in his 50s, and his passenger Val Barnes, in her 70s, died when the Piper PA28 plane crashed on private marshland near Wolferton on Monday.

Picture issued by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch of the scene of a light aircraft crash in Norfolk, as the pilot and passenger who died have been named as pilot Nigel Dodds and his passenger Val Barnes.

This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder. — Picture issued by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch of the scene of a light aircraft crash in Norfolk, as the pilot and passenger who died have been named as pilot Nigel Dodds and his passenger Val Barnes. This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.

placeholder image — Picture issued by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch of the scene of a light aircraft crash in Norfolk, as the pilot and passenger who died have been named as pilot Nigel Dodds and his passenger Val Barnes. This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.

The land is part of the Sandringham Estate.

Mr Dodds is understood to be from the Gateshead area, near Newcastle, and Ms Barnes is from nearby Whickham.

Emergency services were called to the crash just before 11am on Monday and Norfolk Police said the pair were pronounced dead at the scene.

The Air Accidents Investigation Branch sent a team of inspectors and the aircraft was recovered by lorry and taken to a facility in Farnborough, Hampshire, for further examination.