Two die in small plane crash near London

A student pilot and his instructor were killed Saturday when their small plane crashed on the outskirts of London.

The single-engine Piper Tomahawk crashed near a house in the Biggin Hill area in London's southern outskirts shortly after taking off from a nearby airfield.

The pilot reported a problem before losing control and apparently spiraling down, said Sergeant John Feeney of Kent Police. He didn't name the two men, who were confirmed dead at the scene by ambulance staff.

The director of Biggin Hill Airport, Peter Lonergan, said the pair took off early Saturday in a dual-controlled Piper Tomahawk PA38. He said the Air Accident Investigation Bureau were conducting an inquiry and that the airport would conduct its own investigation into the incident, AP reported. V.A.