An investigation into a fatal microlight crash has failed to explain what caused the accident.

The pilot, named locally as John Wood, was killed when his aircraft crashed into power cables, plummeted into a field and burst into flames on the Hoo Peninsula in March last year.

The investigation by the Air Accident Investigation Branch has found there was not enough evidence to determine whether the crash was caused by the pilot or by mechanical failure.

The report states that a postmortem examination found the pilot was in good health and did not have any pre-existing diseases or medical conditions which may have contributed to the accident and he had not taken any drugs or alcohol.

The 61-year-old, from Essex, had 117 hours of flying experience and had gone on three training flights at Stoke Airfield, near Burrows Lane, Middle Stoke, on the morning of the crash.

After take-off the aircraft was climbing steeply when the left wing dropped and the plane started descending. It crashed into power cables next to the runway, hit the ground and burst into flames.

At the time, witnesses have described hearing a loud bang and seeing a flash of light.

Joshua Holloway, 17, was playing on a games console in his room and saw the tragedy unfold.

He said: “I had a clear view of the pylons. It [the aircraft] had started making a funny noise, so I was watching it.

“It dipped and then it dipped a little bit more and then it hit the power line.

“There was a massive bang and then the plane just dropped straight to the ground and went up in flames.”

The report concluded the victim, who was a member of Medway Microlights Club, had shown he was competent to fly the aircraft before his solo flight but the aircraft was seen to climb steeply before it lost control.

Due to the “extreme angle” of the climb, investigators were unable to tell whether this was due to a fault with the aircraft, or a deliberate manoeuvre by the pilot.

The report concluded: “There was insufficient evidence available to determine which possibility was more likely.”