London Executive Aviation (LEA) has paid tribute to its pilots Robert Bull and Francis Simmonds who died in an air accident in Essex in the UK.

The accident occurred when an LEA-operated King Air 200 came down in October in a field close to Stapleford airport almost immediately after take-off. No passengers were on-board and no parties were harmed on the ground.

MD George Galanopoulos says: “Rob and Francis were highly experienced professional pilots and respected, popular members of the LEA team. They were both passionate about flight and shared the great people skills that mark out the best charter pilots. We are all in shock and deeply saddened by this tragic loss and are doing everything possible to support the families and our other employees at this terribly difficult time.”