A British man has died in front of his girlfriend during his first-ever flight as a pilot.

Luis Rivera, 35, died instantly after he lost control of his two-seater plane as he prepared to land.

He was on his first flight when the tragedy occurred at a flight school on the Costa del Sol.

A One Air Aviacion airplane similar to that being flown by Luis Rivera a the time of the crash

A 35-year-old Spanish flying instructor accompanying him, named as Francisco Javier Gomez, also died in the crash.

Mr Rivera's girlfriend had taken her baptism flight in the same plane moments earlier and was watching her partner from the ground.

Last night she was being comforted by friends and relatives.

Police and the Spanish Civil Aviation Authority have launched an investigation into the crash.

Witnesses have blamed the incident on high winds.

Mr Rivera and his unnamed girlfriend had hired the plane from flight school One Air Aviation, based near Velez-Malaga a 30-minute drive east of Malaga.

The pair were both making their first flights at the controls of an aircraft - a two-seater Tecnam - after two hours of teaching.

The crash happened just after 3pm local time yesterday as the aircraft prepared to land following a first aborted attempt.

Witnesses said a gust of wind sent the plane spiralling into a farmer's field near the runway as the pilot tried to turn it round for the second landing.

The accident happened near an airport in Velez-Malaga, 30 minutes east of Malaga

Firefighters had to free the men's bodies from the aircraft, which smashed into several pieces on impact with the ground. The plane belonged to One Air Aviacion.

Mr Rivera is believed to be the son of Spanish migrants to the UK.

Carlos Sedano, vice-president of the Leoni Benabu air club where One Air Aviacion hires a hangar, said he believed the accident may have been weather-related.

The wind was gusting at around 35 knots when the tragedy occurred.

He said: 'Yesterday was one of those days when it's not comfortable to fly because it could be risky.'

Professional pilot Vicente Barbara, a witness to the accident, added: 'It wasn't the best day to fly.'

Agustin Cabanillas, a spokesman for One Air Aviacion, said: 'We regret the deaths of these two men. Francisco was a colleague of mine.

'Two investigations are underway, one by the police and the other by the Spanish Civil Aviation Authority.

'Their results will determine what has happened here. I'm not going to comment on speculation and conjecture.'

One Air Aviacion describes the 'baptism flight' on its website as 'something you'll never forget.'

It adds: 'Commanders of commercial airliners around the world are able to remember tiny details of their first flight, because together with the first solo it is the most significant flight in a pilot's career.

'You will experience new sensations typical of the environment and accompanied by an incredible view.'

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