A terrifying image reveals the moment a 'highly skilled ' pilot spun out of control during an aerobatic display - right before the plane crashed in front of horrified spectators this afternoon . Smoke billows from David Jenkins ' single-engine Edge 360 plane above Old Buckenham Airfield near Attleborough , Norfolk . The man in his 50s tragically died when it crashed just 50 metres from a group of people who were at a press day for the air show . A friend who wished to stay anonymous said : 'He was the best bloke I knew . He was highly skilled and knew exactly what he was doing . ' Mr Jenkins was a member of the Wildcat Aerobatic Team based at Old Buckenham Airfield and has been a regular competitor at UK aerobatics competitions , winning over 40 medals . Scroll down for video . Terror : A terrifying new image reveals the moment David Jenkins ' plane spun out of control - before crashing at the Old Buckenham Airfield . Deceased : A friend of the dead pilot who has been named locally as David Jenkins ' said : 'He was the best bloke I knew ' Tragedy : The pilot of an aerobatics display aircraft is feared dead after crashing in front of horrified spectators this afternoon ( file photo of an Edge 360 ) Response : Police and rescue services attended the scene in Old Buckenham ( pictured ) where a pilot has died after his stunt plane crashed . Disaster : The single-engine Edge 360 plane was being put through its paces when it crashed in flames at Old Buckenham Airfield near Norfolk ( pictured ) Eyewitnesses saw the plane go into a flat spin and failing to come out if it during its display at around 2.45pm . Witnesses said that the burning wreckage of the plane was extinguished by firefighters . Lauren Cope , a reporter for the Eastern Daily Press who was at the press launch , said : 'It 's very quiet here and everyone is very emotional . ' Mr Jenkins was named British Advanced Champion in 2012 and 2013 and a member of the UK team at the 2012 aerobatic world championships . According to his profile on the Wildcat 's website , he began flying as a teenager living near Panshangar airfield near Welwyn Garden City . A pilot who flew out of the airfield this morning said he only found out about the tragedy when he returned this evening after being diverted elsewhere . Simon Garrett said : 'We were due to land back here but were sent elsewhere because of this emergency . 'We did n't know anybody had died until now . It is a terrible tragedy and very unusual because the teams involved are highly skilled . I knew the gentleman involved and he was very experienced . ' A Norfolk Police spokesman said that 'sadly the pilot of the aircraft died at the scene ' and his next of kin has been informed . An area of the airfield has been cordoned off - most probably overnight - while the investigation is handed over to the Air Accident Investigation Branch and a file prepared for the coroner . Emergency : A local resident says she knew something bad had happened when she heard police sirens rushing to the airfield . Crash : The plane went down just 50 metres from a group of around 20 people who were at a press day to publicise an air show at Old Buckenham Airfield ( pictured ) A Norfolk Police spokesman said : 'Officers attended , along with colleagues from Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service and the East of England Ambulance Service , to find wreckage near to the airfield . 'Police believe one person has died as a result of the crash and officers are currently trying to identify and inform next of kin . Firefighters and ambulance crews are also in attendance . ' The East Anglia Air Ambulance helicopter , ambulance paramedics and police were also quickly on the scene . A spokeswoman for the East of England Ambulance Service said : 'The air ambulance , an ambulance and an ambulance officer have been sent to an incident at the airfield . ' A spokesperson for the airfield said the Air Accidents Investigation Branch ( AAIB ) would be be notified . Tribute : A friend of the pilot who died at the Old Buckenham Airfield today said : 'He was the best bloke I knew ' Victim : Norfolk Police believes one person has died as a result of the crash and officers are currently trying to identify and inform next of kin . Accident : The single-engine plane was being put through its paces when it crashed in flames at Old Buckenham Airfield ( pictured ) 64-year-old Sue Cottee who lives nearby says she heard the emergency services rushing to the tragic scene . She said : ' I assumed it was a crash on the main road . I knew something big had happened but I 'm so shocked to hear a pilot died . It 's really sad . ' I go down to the air show every year with my family . They fly the planes overhead every day and I see them practising when I take my dog out . ' An Air Accident Investigation Board spokesman said : 'We are aware of an incident . We have deployed at team to the scene to start investigations . '
The Edge 360 plane crashed in flames at Old Buckenham Airfield in Norfolk . Eyewitnesses saw single-engine aircraft go into a flat spin at about 2.45pm . Pilot who died in the incident has been named locally as David Jenkins . 'He was the best bloke I knew , ' said a friend who wished not to be named .