Probe Into Fatal Light Plane Crash

Investigations are continuing at the scene of a light aircraft crash in which two men died.

Police and a team from the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) are continuing their work at the spot where the wreckage of the aircraft was found yesterday, near the village of Abernyte in Perthshire.

Formal identification is yet to take place, but it's understood the two occupants of the aircraft were 53-year-old John MacKinnon from Ross-shire and 37-year-old Andrew Thompson from Chester.

A police spokesperson said: "Officers continue to liaise with both families and they have requested that their privacy is respected at this difficult time."

The small plane, thought to have departed from Inverness, was heading to Dundee airport for around midday yesterday when it lost contact with air traffic controllers just a few miles west of the hub.

Weather was reportedly poor at the time it went missing, with heavy rain, fog and wind gusts up to 35mph.

A large ground and air search was launched for the plane, involving police, coastguard teams and the RAF.

Rescuers discovered the wreckage about four hours later, around 4pm.

Police Scotland also confirmed the deaths of those in the plane, saying: "The two male occupants of the aircraft have been found to be deceased.''

A force spokesman today confirmed that officers remain on the scene.

"Inquiries into the incident are ongoing," he said.

An AAIB spokeswoman said their investigators arrived at the site yesterday and remain at the scene today.

Dundee Airport, on the shore of the Firth of Tay, is a popular base in the area for light aircraft enthusiasts.