Five killed as two planes collide
Police and the fire service are involved in the investigation into the crash
Five people have been killed in a mid-air collision between two light aircraft in Warwickshire.
The pilot of one plane, described as like a microlight, crashed into a field close to Coombe Abbey, Brinklow, near Coventry Airport at around 1130 BST.
A Cessna, carrying four people, came down a mile away in Brandon Woods.
Police believe the planes were returning to Coventry airport when the incident happened and the bodies of the victims are still being recovered.
Det Supt Adrian McGee said: "How they collided and how they came to the collision we still do not know."
The first aircraft landed in a field near Coventry Road, between Brinklow and Coventry.
The Cessna aircraft was owned by Reconnaissance Ventures Ltd (RVL), which is based at Coventry Airport and carried out survey work for government agenies
and private firms.
One of the planes that crashed was a Cessna 402
Colin Dennis, RVL's managing director, said the aircraft had been taking an "entirely routine flight" and was on a "perfectly normal" approach to Coventry Airport at the time of the crash.
"It was approximately two miles from the runway," he said.
"We believe it had been cleared to land by Coventry Airport air traffic control when it was in collision with a smaller, single-engine light aircraft."
Debris from the collision stretched across several miles. No-one on the ground was reported to have been injured.
Commander Mick Leach, of Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service, said: "At the moment our thoughts are really on getting the task done.
"Clearly there are a lot of people who are going to get some very distressing news. Our priority is that we can retrieve the bodies as quickly as possible and that those relatives can be notified and can have time and privacy to mourn their loss."
Murray MacGregor, spokesman for West Midlands Ambulance Service, said crews had found "a scene of devastation" and air accident investigators had launched an inquiry. "Thankfully nobody was nearby when the debris came down," he said."
Det Supt Adrian McGee appeals for witnesses to the incident
Eyewitness Malcolm Collins, from Daventry, Northamptonshire, was at Coombe Abbey children's playground with his family when the collision occurred.
"We noticed the twin-engined aircraft coming over the top of us. It was about 300 metres away from us, flying away from us as we watched it, and it struck another aircraft that had been coming across. As it hit it, the smaller aircraft just completely disintegrated."
Paul Harwood, head of human resources at Coventry Airport, told BBC News he knew those who died in the crash.
"They are known to us all. They've been around for some time, most of us have been around for some time," he said.
"It is a small community, and our sympathies don't just go out to our families, it's all those who are affected by today."
Det Supt McGee said 30 officers were working at the scene. "There are two scenes and they are difficult to get to. We are appealing for anyone who witnessed the crash to get in touch." Coventry Airport was closed for a short time after the crash, but has since reopened.
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18-08-2008, 02:13 AM #1
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UK Five killed as two planes collide
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18-08-2008, 02:24 AM #2Sprayed On Member
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Sympathies to the families.
It's always been something on my list, to learn how to fly a light aircraft.
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18-08-2008, 02:29 AM #3
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Warwickshire Mid Air Collision Sunday 17th August 2008
Warwickshire Mid Air Collision Sunday 17th August 2008
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18-08-2008, 08:52 PM #4
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Body recovered in aircraft crash
Body recovered in aircraft crash
The crash is not being treated as suspicious
A body has been recovered from the wreckage of an aircraft crash in which five people were killed.
A Cessna 402 aircraft carrying two men and two women and a solo-piloted small aircraft collided above Coombe Abbey in Warwickshire on Sunday.
One body, believed to be that of the small aircraft pilot, was found by rescue crews overnight by Coombe Abbey, about two miles from Coventry Airport.
Teams are searching nearby Brandon Wood for the other four.
An investigation involving police, the fire service, the RAF and the Air Accident Investigation Branch has begun.
'Big bang'
Police said they were not treating the crash as suspicious.
All four people on board the Cessna were employees of specialist survey company Reconnaissance Ventures Ltd (RVL).
The company used the aircraft to carry out survey work for government agencies and private firms.
The smaller aircraft was described by eyewitnesses as looking like a "kit plane". Eyewitnesses who saw the crash, which happened at about 1130 BST on Sunday, described how the pilot of the Cessna tried to steer the aircraft to safety.
Malcolm Collins, of Daventry, Northamptonshire, who had been at Coombe Abbey with his wife and children, said: "When it first happened it looked like the plane would go straight down, but the pilot recovered it and seemed to be in control of it.
"Then it tipped and came down suddenly."
He said it looked like the smaller aircraft had "completed disintegrated in a big bang".
Emergency services had difficulty finding the crash scene in dense woodland and needed guidance from the air.
Debris spread
Commander Mick Leach, of Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service, said the debris had been spread over a wide area.
Police urged any witnesses to contact them.
Det Supt Adrian McGee said: "We would like to thank everyone who has come forward with witness accounts so far.
"We are very grateful for their assistance and will be contacting them later today."
Colin Dennis, the managing director of RVL, said the Cessna was on a "perfectly normal" approach to Coventry Airport at the time of the collision.
The Cessna 402 was being used by a specialist survey company
He said he had been in touch with the families of the victims, who he said were coping "as you would expect". He said it was still unclear which employee was flying the Cessna, a plane which was about 15 years old and had recently been refitted.
Mr Dennis added that the aircraft was "better than new" after its makeover and had been fitted with new equipment.
He added he did not want to name the victims or give their ages until their bodies had been recovered and formally identified.
The RVL team had been based at Coventry Airport.
Paul Harwood, from the airport, said the deaths had affected everyone there.
He said: "We're a small community.
"They've been around for a long time. People move around airport circles and they are known to us all." Coventry City Council said Coombe Country Park would be shut to the public "until further notice". A council spokesperson said: "The city council passes on its condolences to all families and friends of all those involved."
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