Ilmor founder Morgan dead.

The Formula One paddock was shocked by the news that one half of the Ilmor founding partners had been killed in an aircraft crash in the UK yesterday.

According to sources, Paul Morgan was involved in the incident which occurred not far from London on Saturday afternoon while indulging his passion for vintage aircraft. The WWII Naval Fury propeller plane he was piloting over Sywell airfield in the south of England apparently turned over on landing, trapping the engine builder inside. Medical teams certified that he was dead at the scene.

Morgan founded Ilmor with fellow engine expert Mario Ilien in the 1980s, going onto become a key player in Mercedes' rise to the top in Formula One and elsewhere. The company also excelled on the US single-seater scene, and recently began tuning powerplants for the Indy Racing League.

The McLaren team, which uses Mercedes power in F1, has been informed of the tragedy, which naturally overshadowed any problems it had been having at the Austrian Grand Prix.

"All members of the team were deeply shocked to learn of the tragic death of Paul Morgan," read an official statement from the team, "Whilst the team are unaware of any details of the flying accident which cost Paul his life, it is clear that everyone's first thoughts are with his family and friends."

Morgan left former employer Cosworth to set up Ilmor Engineering with Illien in order to build Champcar engines. The company first entered Formula One in 1991 with Leyton House, where its performance on the track encouraged Mercedes to a financial interest in 1993.

Morgan, 42, was married with two children