One of the world’s deadliest aviation accidents that ever struck Littleborough: on Tuesday, a light plane smashed into rural farmland in a remote agricultural area. It was then the scene of an airport accident: an unexpected tragic aviation death in Littleborough on Tuesday.
When police arrived, the plane’s only occupants (two men) at the crash site were declared dead. The Flight Path and Incident. The aircraft, a Cirrus SR20, departed from the XLR Executive Jet Centre at Birmingham Airport about 9:59 AM. The flight tracking data show that the plane flew north for about 40 minutes and went over the Peak District. Around 10:30 AM, the plane started to fall rapidly. At around 11:00 AM, it hit the ground in a field near Blackstone Edge and Hollingworth Lake. Witnesses recorded the plane struggling in the blustery conditions before hitting the ground.
The Deployment of the Parachute
Perhaps one of the most remarkable sights from the crash site was when the large yellow parachute was caught on a neighboring electricity pylon. The Cirrus Airframe Parachute System (CAPS) in the Cirrus SR20 is a system that was specially developed to lower the whole aircraft down to the ground in the event of an emergency.
Although the parachute was found deployed, investigators now are trying to figure out at what altitude it was activated and why it failed to save the human lives. National Grid engineers were sent to the site to ensure the pylon and surrounding lines were safe but no power disruptions were reported in the area.
Emergency Response
Greater Manchester Police (GMP), together with the fire service and air ambulance, arrived on the scene within minutes of the 999 calls. Chief Superintendent Danny Inglis called the scene "devastating." “This is a tragic incident, two people lost their lives. Our thoughts are with their families and friends. We are conducting investigation with the Air Accidents Investigation Branch to establish what exactly went wrong,” Chief Supt Inglis said.
Ongoing Investigation
The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) has deployed a team from multiple disciplines. As investigators survey remnants of the wreckage and recover flight data, the wreckage remains under a police cordon. No injuries were reported to anyone on the ground, and the police have encouraged any witnesses or anyone with dashcam footage of the aircraft’s last moments to step forward.
