Two in hospital after light aircraft crash near Oban

A light aircraft has crashed near Oban in the west of Scotland.

Two casualties were airlifted to hospitals in Paisley and Glasgow after the aircraft came down near the village of Benderloch, Argyll and Bute, just after 11am. Their condition is not yet known.

A Police Scotland spokesman said: "A search and rescue operation was launched and the aircraft was located near the village of Benderloch with two people on board.

"Emergency services are in attendance and the two injured parties are being taken by air ambulance to Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley and the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow.''

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency said the UK Aeronautical Rescue Co-ordination Centre (ARCC) received a call at 11.07am, with reports of a light aircraft crash near Ben More in the Trossachs.

This report was followed by an update from the Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Germany of an aircraft emergency locator transmitter being activated at Beinn Lora, about 35 miles to the west of the initial report.

Two UK Coastguard helicopters were immediately scrambled by the ARCC and sent to both locations.

The coastguard helicopter based at Inverness was sent to Ben More and another based at Prestwick flew to Beinn Lora.

The Prestwick-based helicopter located the crashed aircraft on a mountain.

A spokesman for the Air Accidents Investigation Branch said: "We have deployed a small team to a microlight aircraft accident near Oban, Scotland.''