A “chafed” wire in an aircraft’s engine could have caused a crash that claimed the life of its pilot, an investigation has concluded.

Simon Wells, 44, from Greatstone, was flying a Cherokee Warrior II plane over Winchelsea beach in East Sussex and above the water when he reported he was “unable to maintain altitude” because of a “high oil temperature”.

A report from the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) said the plane “ditched with a strong tailwind”, became “inverted”, and sank.

Mr Wells had taken off from Lydd Airport on Saturday, August 6, at 3.23pm and by 4pm the plane had plunged into the sea.

The AAIB conclusions, published today, said that at 3.58pm Mr Wells reported problems with the engine, and just two minutes later, he confirmed the plane was ditching.

The investigation said that several witnesses on the Winchelsea beach saw the plane “descend on a straight course” into the sea and that there was no change to the aircraft’s heading.

It said: “Other witnesses reported seeing what most of them initially believed was a boat, skipping across the water, when it suddenly flipped over and they could see it was actually an aircraft.

“Other witnesses reported seeing what most of them initially believed was a boat, skipping across the water...' - AAIB report

“The aircraft floated for around 30 seconds before it rolled and sank from their view.”

The alarm was raised with the search and rescue crews who scrambled and were in the air by 4.06pm.

An oil slick remained near to where the plane was believed to have ditched but there was no sign of the plane or Mr Wells until days afterwards when they were recovered from the seabed.

The plane was said to have contained “a large quantity of fuel” and was taken to Newhaven where its mechanics were examined in detail.

“No mechanical defect was identified with the engine”, the report said.

But it did note that the aircraft was operating in the flight regime where “severe” carburettor icing could have taken place.

This happens when two temperatures mix and cause the device, which blends air and fuel, to freeze.

The plane’s logbook showed that the engine had been overhauled in March 2014.

A pathologist’s report also showed that Mr Wells had no trace of alcohol or drugs in his system.

The report concluded: “The cause of the engine malfunction was not positively determined.”