Two men die after light aircraft launched from Birmingham crashes on moorland in Greater Manchester

Greater Manchester Police, ambulance crews and firefighters responded to reports of a light aircraft crash on an area of moorland near Blackstone Edge and Hollingworth Lake, Littleborough, with specialist emergency services crews also said to be in attendance.

The private plane, now understood to have been a small Cirrus SR 20, had set off from Birmingham Airport at around 10am on Tuesday with two people on board, flight tracking website FlightRadar24 saying the plane had departed Birmingham just before 10am, travelling for around 40 minutes before the last signal was received south of the M62 motorway near Marsden, West Yorkshire.

Emergency services were called to the scene shortly after 11.30am and remained in attendance throughout the day, along with an air ambulance and specialist investigators from the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB), while roads were closed up and around the moorland.

It was later confirmed by Greater Manchester Police that the bodies of two men were found at the scene. Formal identification is yet to take place.

The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) confirmed it has launched an investigation into the crash and sent a team to the site.

A spokesman for Greater Manchester Police said: "Two people have sadly died following a light aircraft crash in Littleborough earlier today.

"Emergency services responded to reports that an aircraft had crashed in a farmland area of Littleborough, Rochdale, shortly after 11am.

"Upon arrival, the bodies of two men were recovered and, sadly, they were pronounced dead at the scene.

"It is not believed there was anyone else on board, and there are no reported injuries on the ground."

Chief Superintendent Danny Inglis, from Greater Manchester Police’s Rochdale district, said: “This is a devastating incident where two people have lost their lives and our thoughts are with their families and friends.

"We have been working closely with emergency service colleagues and partner agencies throughout the day to establish the full circumstances and we will be on scene overnight and into tomorrow.

“There will be an enhanced presence as officers and investigators comprehensively survey the area and ensure all available evidence is recovered. 

"If anyone has any information, or witnessed the crash, we would urge you to get in touch with us.”

A spokesman for the AAIB said: “An accident involving a light aircraft which occurred today near Rochdale, Greater Manchester has been notified to the AAIB. 

"An investigation has been launched and a multidisciplinary team of inspectors are on their way to the accident site.”