A PILOT has been charged with manslaughter three years after the death of a former Royal Marine in a plane crash.

Scott Hoyle, of Broadstone, was flying a vintage de Havilland Tiger Moth on May 15, 2011, when it crashed into a field near Witchampton, East Dorset.

His passenger, 26-year-old Orlando Rogers, was killed in the incident, which took place after the plane got into trouble at around 1,500 feet.

Hoyle will appear at Bournemouth Magistrates’ Court next Wednesday after being charged with a single count of manslaughter.

He was cut free from the wreckage of his plane and airlifted to hospital following the crash, while Mr Rogers – who was taken to Dorset County Hospital by Portland Coastguard – died as a result of his injuries.

Mr Rogers, who came from Poole, had been posted on tours throughout the world, including Afghanistan and Northern Ireland.

He had also starred in two ITV documentaries – Commandos on the Frontline, which featured him on tour as a troop commander, while Go Commando documented his 55-day trans-Atlantic row.

Filmmaker Chris Terrill paid tribute to a charismatic ‘action man’ and ‘larger than life’ character who squeezed the most into his short life in the days after his death.

He said: “He was only 21 when I first met him but seemed to have achieved so much.

“Everyone was in awe of him.”

His mother Julia, who was at her son’s side when he died, also described him as “immensely special” when paying tribute.

A Dorset Police spokesperson said: “47-year-old Scott Hoyle of Broadstone has been reported for the offence of manslaughter and has been summoned to appear at Bournemouth Magistrates Court on Wednesday, May 28, 2014.”