Light Aircraft Crash Victims Named
5 May 2015, 07:19 | Updated: 30 March 2016, 13:50
Two men killed in a light aircraft crash have been named.
The wreckage of the small plane was found yesterday near the village of Abernyte in Perthshire, about four hours after it went missing.
Police said formal identification of the two who died has yet to take place. They are understood to be 37-year-old Andrew Thompson, from Chester in Cheshire, and John MacKinnon, 53, of Ross-shire.
The aircraft, which departed from Inverness, was heading to Dundee airport for about midday yesterday when it lost contact with air traffic controllers just a few miles west of the hub.
Weather was said to be poor at the time it went missing, with heavy rain, fog and wind gusts up to 35mph.
A large ground and air search was launched for the plane, involving police, coastguard teams and the RAF.
Rescuers discovered the wreckage at about 4pm and later confirmed the deaths of those on board.
Police and a team from the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) are continuing their work at the spot where the wreckage was found.
An AAIB spokeswoman said their investigators arrived at the site yesterday and remain at the scene today.
A police spokesman said: "Joint investigations to establish the full circumstances of the crash will continue and formal identifications of both deceased will take place in due course.
"As with all sudden deaths a report will be sent to the procurator fiscal.''
