A 16-year-old boy and an 80-year-old man lost their lives after a light aircraft crashed near Loch Lomond on Friday afternoon. Emergency services were alerted to the crash site at approximately 16:45, where both occupants were pronounced dead. Police confirmed that the next of kin for both victims have been informed.
The aircraft, identified as a Piper Tomahawk II, had departed from Glasgow Airport at 16:17 before signal transmission abruptly stopped at 16:37, a few miles northeast of Drymen in Stirling. The ill-fated flight was the final leg of a busy schedule for the aircraft earlier that day. It had initially taken off from Cumbernauld Airport at 11:46 on Friday morning, completing a 15-minute flight to Glasgow Airport. After remaining on the ground until around 13:00, the plane embarked on a two-hour flight northeast to Newport on Tay before turning back to Glasgow. It remained parked at Glasgow Airport for just over an hour before taking off on its final journey.
In the wake of the accident, temporary airspace restrictions have been established over the area while officials from the Air Accidents Investigation Branch conduct inquiries into the circumstances surrounding the crash.
Expressing condolences following the tragedy, Gavin Birch-Williams, managing director of Glasgow Airport, confirmed the flight's departure from the location. He said, "We are aware of an incident involving a light aircraft that departed from Glasgow Airport. This is a deeply tragic event, and the thoughts and heartfelt sympathies from all at Glasgow Airport are with the friends and families affected."
