Tributes have been paid to a 'legendary' flight instructor and a 16-year-old pupil who died in a plane crash near Loch Lomond. Ian Haggis, affectionately known as the "Flying Haggis", was a popular figure in Scottish aviation circles and taught countless pilots how to fly.
Emergency services were called to a rural area northeast of Drymen, Stirlingshire, shortly before 4.45pm on Friday October 16. An 80-year-old man and a 16-year-old boy, thought to be a pupil on a flying lesson, were pronounced dead at the scene.
Flight school 'devastated' by loss
Leading Edge Flight Training, which operated the Piper Tomahawk II used for the flight, said they are "devastated" following the crash and the loss of two "close members of our Leading Edge family". The aircraft, registered as G-LFSU, had only recently been purchased by the firm from the Liverpool Flight School in Merseyside.
A statement on Facebook said: "We are devastated by this tragic accident involving one of our aircraft and two close members of our Leading Edge family. Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with the families, friends and loved ones of those who lost their lives."
"Leading Edge Flight Training is assisting with the investigation and while it remains ongoing we are unable to say anything further at this time."
Friends remember Ian Haggis
Others paid tribute to Ian on social media. Joseph Thompson said: "My good friend and instructor Ian Haggis was killed yesterday in an air accident, my heart goes to his family."
Paul Aspin said: "Condolences to everyone involved and the families affected by this tragedy. I was shocked to hear about Ian yesterday. I first met him through my job at Scottish information ATC. He was one very special guy. An absolute gentleman with a special twinkle in his eye and always a good story to tell."
"He was calm, engaging and professional. He was a man that in someway touched the heart of everyone that met him. RIP Ian. You have gone but will never be forgotten. Aviation in Scotland is all the better for what you gave to it."
Cameron Archibald added: "It's heartbreaking. We've lost a legend, and maybe an upcoming one as well. Both will be missed deeply, truly heartbreaking."
Flight path and investigation
According to data from flight tracking app FlightRadar24, the aircraft left Glasgow Airport shortly after 4.15pm and travelled north, heading over Loch Lomond, before it was lost to their tracking system around 20 minutes later. Earlier in the day, the Piper Tomahawk II, built in 1981 with more than 10,000 total flight hours, had taken off from Cumbernauld Airport at 11.46am before travelling to Glasgow Airport.
It was then tracked leaving Glasgow Airport and travelling north-east towards Newport-on-Tay in Fife where it was lost to FlightRadar24's tracking systems before being picked up again on its return to Glasgow. A cordon was erected near Old Drymen Road, with officers seen heading towards the hillside where the aircraft crashed.
Gavin Birch-Williams, managing director of Glasgow Airport, said: "This is a deeply tragic event and the thoughts and sympathies from all at Glasgow Airport are with the friends and families affected."
Temporary airspace restrictions have been imposed over the Drymen area. A spokesperson for the Air Accident Investigation Branch said: "An investigation has begun into an accident involving a light aircraft which occurred on 16 October 2026. A team has travelled to the accident site near Drymen, north of Glasgow, to make enquiries and gather evidence as part of the process of conducting a safety investigation."
