Alana Cutland, 19.A "bright, independent young woman".
A Cambridge University student who died after falling from a small aircraft in Madagascar is being remembered by her family as "bright, independent young woman".
Alana Cutland, 19, had traveled to the island off the east coast of Africa to complete an internship.
According to local reports, Ms Cutland, from Milton Keynes, was travelling in a Cessna light aircraft when she fell last Thursday.
Just how she came to fall from the aircraft is not yet known, but the local police are not believed to have arrested anyone over the incident.
According to the local newspaper, L'Express de Madagascar, her body has not yet been recovered and due to "dense vegetation" authorities are struggling to locate her remains.
Her family described the 19-year-old as "kind and supportive" and someone who "grasped every opportunity that was offered to her with enthusiasm and a sense of adventure".
In a statement released through the Foreign Office, they paid tribute saying: "Our daughter Alana was a bright, independent young woman, who was loved and admired by all those that knew her. She was always so kind and supportive to her family and friends, which resulted in her having a very special connection with a wide network of people from all walks of her life, who we know will miss her dearly."
It added: "She was particularly excited to be embarking on the next stage of her education on an internship in Madagascar, complementing her studies in natural sciences.
"Alana was also a talented dancer and embraced the more creative side of her talents with joy and commitment.
"Her thirst for discovering more of the world always ensured she made the most of every second of her actionpacked young life. We are heartbroken at the loss of our wonderful, beautiful daughter, who lit up every room she walked in to, and made people smile just by being there."
"So much going for her".
Meanwhile friends have described the young student as having "so much going for her".
"She was amazing, one of the most beautiful and pure girls I've ever known - inside and out," they told The Sun.
"We knew she was [taking part in] some sort of plane trip last week to study the seabed on a neighbouring island, but then contact went dead and we started to fear the worst."
