A pilot killed when his light aircraft crashed has been named.

John O'Connor, 47, was flying alone in a twin-seater Robin when it crashed at Goodwood airfield, near Chichester.

The single-engine aircraft was within sight of the control tower and it is thought the pilot's partner saw the accident from the ground.

Witnesses said the plane appeared to go into a nose-dive.

Two ambulances, police units, a police helicopter and fire crews from Chichester and Bognor arrived at the crash within minutes.

Experienced pilot Mr O'Connor, from Roehampton, south west London, was cut free of the wreckage by firefighters but was found to be dead by a doctor at the scene.

His partner was taken to St Richard's Hospital, Chichester, where she was treated for shock.

A Sussex Police spokeswoman said: "We believe she witnessed the crash, which must have been very traumatic."

It is thought the French-built aircraft had been in the air for about five minutes before the crash happened.

Tony Haughton, the director of Goodwood airfield and motor circuit, said conditions at the time were good.

Air accident investigators from Gatwick went to the scene on Saturday to look into the cause of the crash, which happened on Friday at 4.10pm.