There is no evidence that a crash which killed a pilot in Kent was caused by a fault with his aircraft, a report has concluded.

Angus Buchanan was killed after the light aircraft he was flying crashed into a field near Headcorn Aerodrome, between Maidstone and Ashford, on Sunday, May 9.

The accident happened as Mr Buchanan and his team mates at the Stampe Formation Display Team were practising a display at around 3.30pm when his aircraft began to spin out of control.

A report from the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) revealed today there were no problems with the aircraft and it was in a "well maintained and airworthy" condition.

The document said: "Flight tests demonstrated that the most likely reason that the aircraft entered a spin was that either the pilot applied too much aft stick before the completion of the turn or that the rudder was not centralised when the pull-out was commenced.

"The investigation suggested several reasons why this may have occurred including the low height at which the manoeuvre took place, the challenge of co-ordinating the manoeuvre in formation, distraction, and the low control forces."

It went on to say it "may have been possible" to recover the aircraft from spinning out of control if Mr Buchanan had reacted immediately to the early signs of the spin.

The report added: "Once the spin had developed it was unlikely there was sufficient altitude to recover to level flight."

Following Mr Buchanan's death his team mates shared a photo of the pilot and paid tribute to him.

They said: “It is with deepest sadness that we have to announce the death of Angus Buchanan.

"An active and long-standing display pilot with the Stampe Formation Team, Angus was an extremely experienced and talented aviator and engineer with many flying hours under his belt.

"We have all lost a very dear friend who leaves a gap in all of our lives that can never be filled and all of our thoughts are now with his family to whom we send our most sincere and deepest condolences.”

Mr Buchanan had been flying a 1940s vintage biplane at the time of the crash.

In his profile on the team's site, Mr Buchanan writes how he recalled gluing his fingers to many airfix models, before graduating to towing balsa wood aircraft behind his bike.

It adds: "Having learned to fly at Prestwick, with a long runway and "Airport Procedures", relocation to Headcorn and a chance encounter with the Tiger club was a culture shock. Something went right, leading to purchase of the fabled G-AWEF from the Tiger Club in 2004 - the log book of which is a who's who of aviation's good and great, the majority of whom cut their aerobatic teeth in this beautiful machine.

Over 24 years, Mr Buchanan built a Sequoia Falco plane, starting in his flat in Scotland. He later moved to the south-east.

He won an award, given by the Light Aircraft Association, for his creation.

Mr Buchanan was also part of a team which helped Benenden School pupils build their own light aircraft, which was completed in 2018.

He also took part in a poppy drop on Remembrance Day, for the village of Headcorn, according to a statement on the village Facebook page.

Two fire engines were sent to the incident along with police and ambulance crews. The air ambulance was also sent to the scene.

To read the full report, click here.