Two people killed in aircraft crash in Hampshire, England

September 20, 2009

A light aircraft crashed in the remote village of Tangley near Andover in the county of Hampshire in England on Sunday, killing two people on board.

The plane crashed at roughly 1300 BST in a field in Tangley and subsequently caught fire. An air ambulance, a rapid response doctor, police officers and fire officers were scrambled to the scene shortly after the crash. Officials from the Air Accident Investigation Branch were also urgently called to the area. Initially, the emergency services were prevented from approaching the aircraft due the torrent of flames that was tearing through it. A probe to investigate the crash is now going to be carried out.

A spokesperson for Hampshire Constabulary stated: "A call was received at 12.40pm today after the plane was seen to come down. Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service are on scene working to put out the blaze and members of the South Central Ambulance Service are also at the sight. Two people who were on board have been confirmed deceased, although it is not yet known how many people were on the aircraft. We haven't been able to get anywhere near to find out how many people are dead because of the fire. We have to be sure that the fuel has been isolated and it is safe." The spokesperson also stated that any other passengers that were on the plane were most likely to be dead.

Neither the itinerary or the take-off point of the aircraft are currently known. It is also unknown exactly how many passengers were on the plane, although the police have stated that it may be a four-seater or a six-seater aircraft. A person speaking on behalf of the members of the South Central Ambulance Service said: "We were called at 12.36 this afternoon to Tangley to reports of a patient who had been injured following a light aircraft crash. However, we believe one patient passed away at the scene."