Two men have died after a light aircraft crashed on farmland near Rochdale, Greater Manchester Police has confirmed. The Cirrus SR20 plane came down near the M62 in Littleborough around 11am on Tuesday, approximately 30 minutes after taking off from Birmingham Airport.
Emergency services, including police, fire, and ambulance crews, rushed to the scene. Police stated they do not believe anyone else was on board and reported no injuries on the ground. Chief Superintendent Danny Inglis said: “This is a devastating incident where two people have lost their lives and our thoughts are with their families and friends.”
Images from the scene show a large yellow parachute caught on an electricity pylon. The Cirrus SR20 is equipped with a whole aircraft parachute system that can be deployed in emergencies. Flight data indicated the single-engine aircraft began losing altitude shortly after departure.
The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) has launched an investigation and sent a team to the site. In a statement, the AAIB said: “An accident involving a light aircraft which occurred today near Rochdale, Greater Manchester has been notified to the AAIB.”
Police earlier urged the public to avoid the area while enquiries were conducted. The crash site is near the town of Littleborough, in the foothills of the South Pennines.
