From Annanova;
http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_739243.html
Police believe missing pilot crashed into sea
The pilot of a light plane which failed to return to an airfield is thought to have crashed into the sea.
Gerry Mepham took off alone from Goodwood Airfield near Chichester, West Sussex, in a Piper Tomahawk aircraft on Friday.
The flight was only meant to take 45 minutes and he told air traffic controllers he would return to the airfield, but has not been seen since.
A major air and sea search was launched, but a Sussex police spokesman says no trace of either Mr Mepham, from Barnham, near Bognor Regis, or his plane have been found.
The spokesman said: "It is believed Mr Mepham and his plane have been lost at sea. His mother and family have been informed."
The airfield said on Friday that radar tapes obtained by the RAF had shown a plane from Goodwood fly out to sea before disappearing from the screen.
A spokesman for Goodwood said Mr Mepham, who was in his mid fifties, flew regularly from the airfield.
However, he was not qualified to fly at night and staff alerted the emergency services when he had not returned by nightfall on Friday.
Story filed: 12:58 Monday 13th January 2003