Pair killed in Yorkshire light aircraft crash thought to be RAF pilots

Two men who died when their plane crashed into a remote field were thought to be RAF pilots.

The pilot and his passenger were killed as the light aircraft crash-landed in a field off Mains Lane, between Castle Howard and the A64, in North Yorkshire, at about 10.40am on Saturday.

Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) investigators continue to examine the cause of the crash. Police have not yet named the men following formal identification.

Speaking at the scene on Saturday, Supt Mark Grange said the plane landed more than 200 metres away from the nearest houses and was still mostly intact.

“It’s in a bad way and it’s obviously come down heavily. It’s sat on its underside so it has not flipped,” he said.

“Whether they tried to land like that I don’t know. I cannot say where they were going and what they were doing in the air.

“The fire service attended the scene just to make sure the area is safe because of worries about the amount of fuel.”

Roads in the area were closed and members of the public were advised to keep away from the area at the time.

Up to 20 firefighters attended and set up a foam blanket around the aircraft in case it caught fire, said a spokesman for North Yorkshire fire and rescue service.