Two men killed in light aircraft crash in Penkridge

Two men died when a small aircraft crashed at the weekend.

The light aircraft had been on fire but emergency services managed to extinguish it, Staffordshire Police said.

"Sadly, a 63-year-old man and a 56-year-old man both died at the scene," a spokesman said.

The plane crashed at Otherton Airfield in Penkridge, South Staffordshire just after 14:00 BST on Sunday.

"Specially trained officers are supporting both of their families at this difficult time," a force spokesperson said.

Staffordshire Police has appealed for anyone with information about the incident to contact officers.

West Midlands Ambulance Service said the aircraft had sustained significant damage.

"Sadly, it quickly became apparent nothing could be done to save either man, and they were both confirmed dead at the scene," a service spokesman said.

Det Insp Peter Goodwin, of CID South at Staffordshire Police, said: "We are continuing to work in parallel with the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) to establish the circumstances leading up to the crash.

"We are keen to hear from witnesses or anyone who may have CCTV or dashcam footage of the area at the time."

Otherton Airfield's website said it was closed until further notice.

The site has three grass runways and is one of the most active airfields in Staffordshire.

The AAIB confirmed an investigation was under way and said a multidisciplinary team of inspectors was "deployed on Sunday afternoon to the accident site".

The team remained on the site on Tuesday to gather evidence and make inquiries, its statement added.

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