Investigation Starts Into Plane Crash

7 April 2015, 07:16 | Updated: 30 March 2016, 13:50

Air accident investigators are looking into the crash of a light aircraft in which a GP and her husband died.

The Air Accident Investigations Branch has been dispatched to Oban, Argyll and Bute, following the crash on Saturday.

Doctor Margaret Ann Rous, 37, and her husband, engineer David Rous, 28, were killed when their Piper Cherokee plane went down.

The couple, who lived in Newport-on-Tay in Fife, were reportedly heading from Dundee to visit relatives on the Hebridean isle of Tiree when tragedy hit.

Dr Rous' sister Johann Maclean paid tribute to her in a message posted on Facebook.

Referencing the Black Eyed Peas' song Meet Me Halfway, she wrote: "Big sister, it's our song, I am going to sing this to you everyday for the rest of my life! You were my absolute rock, and I promise to meet you halfway one day! Today has been the hardest day of my life, I love you Minnie.''

She also thanked friends and family for their sympathy messages.

"Thank you all for the heartfelt messages, phone calls and visits,'' she wrote. "We appreciate your thoughts at this heartbreaking time.''

Searchers discovered the wreckage on Saturday night after radar contact with the aircraft was lost earlier in the day.

The loss of contact had prompted a multi-emergency response involving the police, ambulance service and the coastguard.

Following the discovery of the wreckage, specialist officers remained at the scene in the Beinn nan Lus area of Glen Kinglass.

Inquiries are continuing into the cause of the accident.

An AAIB spokeswoman said it has now started an investigation in Oban.

A coastguard spokesman said: "We got a call from Kinloss about the aircraft going missing at 1.53pm on April 4 and we tasked Oban, Appen and Loch Goil coastguard rescue teams and the Oban lifeboat to search the area and surrounding hills.

"When police and the mountain rescue team located the wreckage, they let us know and we got word to stand down at around 4.15pm.''

Flying conditions were reportedly difficult at the time of the crash.

The spokesman added: "Our teams did not pass on any information about the conditions.

"It might have been difficult for any air unit searching but we had mostly ground units and the lifeboat doing the search for us.''

Detective Chief Inspector Bob Frew, of the Major Investigations Team, said: "The remains of the two people on board have now been recovered and their families have been informed.

"Formal identification is expected to take place within the next few days.

"Our family liaison officers are working closely with both families involved and will continue to support them throughout this difficult time.

"Police Scotland would like to take this opportunity to thank all the members of the public who called us on 101 to provide information regarding this incident.

"We would also like to extend our sincere thanks to the Oban Mountain Rescue team and all our partner agencies that have assisted in the search and recovery operation so far.

"Our teams will continue working to recover the physical parts of the aircraft over the coming days.

"Anyone with information regarding this incident is urged to contact police via the non-emergency number 101.''