Scotland: Inquiry Into Fatal Crash

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BBC

Friday, 1 December, 2000, 07:14 GMT Inquiry into fatal plane crash

A policeman stands watch over the crash wreckage Police investigating a light air crash said it could take several days to identify the dead pilot.

The pilot died instantly when the six-seater light aircraft crashed and exploded near a farmhouse close to Fearnoch, on the north side of Loch Tay, in Perthshire.

The US-built Piper Aerostar was on its way to Iceland from Newcastle Airport with only the pilot on board when it crashed at about 1630 GMT on Thursday.

Two rescue helicopters and two mountain rescue teams were immediately scrambled but were stood down by emergency services shortly before 1800 GMT as the fire at the scene was put out by firefighters.

Inspector Gordon Nicholl, of Tayside Police, confirmed that one body was found in the wreckage.

"We have found one body which we have still to formally confirm is a man," he said.

"A doctor is on his way to the scene to confirm that. We understand that he is the pilot."

Aviation expert Jim Ferguson said the plane was American-registered.

Air traffic control

He told BBC Radio Scotland it was likely to have been on its way from or to the US.

"It is a kind of short hop route, flying it through Scotland to Iceland and then on to Greenland, Canada and into the United States," he said.

"My understanding is that air traffic control in Prestwick notified the RAF at Lossiemouth of it going missing."

The plane is a high performance, twin engine plane frequently used for executive charter.

-- Rachel Gibson (rgibson@hotmail.com), December 01, 2000


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