Two men have died after a light aircraft crashed onto farmland in Greater Manchester, police have confirmed.
Gatekeepers News reports that the small Cirrus SR20 aircraft went down near the M62 in Littleborough, close to Rochdale, at about 11:00 GMT on Tuesday.
The plane had taken off roughly an hour earlier, at about 10:00, from the XLR Executive Jet Centre at Birmingham Airport, which caters to VIP and private clients.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said officers recovered the bodies of two men from the wreckage. No other passengers were believed to have been on board, and there were no reports of injuries on the ground.
A team from the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) is at the scene, while a police cordon remains in place as investigations continue.
The Cirrus SR20 is fitted with a parachute recovery system, and images circulating online appeared to show a yellow parachute canopy caught on a nearby pylon close to the crash site.
Chief Superintendent Danny Inglis described the incident as devastating.
“This is a devastating incident where two people have lost their lives and our thoughts are with their families and friends,” he said.
“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.”
He added that officers and investigators would continue to comb the area for evidence.
“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,” Inglis said.
The air ambulance was called to Tunshill Lane, just off Kiln Lane and near Tunshill Golf Club, where emergency teams secured the area.
Witnesses described dramatic scenes following the crash.
Farmer Pete Robinson, who was feeding his sheep nearby, said he heard sirens and saw a “massive response going up Blackstone Edge.”
“So I went up into a top field and saw what I thought at the time to be a paraglider on the moor edge, engines and lights everywhere,” he said, adding that the wind was “horrendous up on the moor edge.”
Stephanie Mills, from Dickey Steps Riding School, told BBC Radio Manchester:
“There wasn’t any noise — I didn’t hear anything — but there is a huge yellow parachute. There is a lot of police and helicopters here too.”
Green keeper Andrew Mayall, from Whittaker Golf Club, said:
“I thought at first that a massive sheet had been blown up there as it’s very windy up here.”
A spokesperson for Birmingham Airport confirmed the departure of the aircraft.
“We can confirm that a private light aircraft left from the XLR Executive Jet Centre at around 10:00.
We are supporting all our partners, and no further comment will be made until all facts are established.”
XLR, which operates from Birmingham, Liverpool, Bournemouth and Exeter, describes itself as catering for “discerning private clients” and offering a “premium flying experience for VIP passengers.”
