A 90-year-old pilot who crashed into a tree may have felt pressure to fly because an airstrip worker took the time to help him to prepare his place, according to an accident report.

The man, one of the UK's oldest pilots, lost control of his microlight while attempting to land at an airstrip near Edenbridge, Kent, at 3.30pm on July 16 last year.

Investigators noted that the pilot's decision to fly at that time - when conditions were more likely to be turbulent than in the early evening - may have been influenced by the fact that the airstrip operator had taken time to help him prepare the aircraft.