Couple among plane crash victims

Emma and Nick O'Brien were married last August, police said.

A married couple with two young children were among three people killed in a light aircraft crash, police said.

Nick O'Brien, 35, and his wife, Emma, 29, both from Solihull, West Midlands, were passengers on board the plane which crashed near Stafford on Friday.

Pilot Alan Matthews, 59, of Walsall, also died when the plane hit power lines above the West Coast Main Line.

The line is unlikely to reopen before Monday, delaying trains from London to north-west England and Scotland.

A British Transport Police (BTP) spokeswoman said the couple, from Shirley, had two children - Callum, aged 10, and 18-month-old Joel.

'Fly in Peace'

Inspectors from the Air Accidents Investigation Branch have been examining the scene for most of the day.

Work to gather evidence and move the remains of the aircraft from the area was expected to carry on into the night.

The aircraft was registered to Mr Matthews.

His wife Jenny confirmed he was piloting the light aircraft that crashed shortly before 1200 GMT.

Mr Matthews is registered as company director of Sittles Farm Flying Club, near Lichfield, Staffordshire.

Investigators spent most of Saturday gathering evidence from the crash site

One of three floral tributes placed at the gates of a maintenance yard near the crash site was one from members of the club.

A card attached read: "All our thoughts and prayers are with you. Fly in Peace."

Club member John Gattrell said: "Alan was very experienced and very well-liked by all the club's members. He will be sorely missed by us all."

Fellow club member Richard Morris said: "He (Alan) was a very nice chap and he was one of our long-standing members at the club.

"We are all deeply shocked to hear of this accident - he was a very good, experienced flyer and we are just totally shocked really."

Alan's wife said he had 19 years' flying experience and it was thought he had arranged to go flying with a work colleague.

Derek Higgott, who lives close to the crash scene, said: "I heard the plane, I looked up, and suddenly it just turned and went straight down like a stunt plane.

"There was a huge thud and black smoke. You could feel the vibration from it and a huge flock of birds all took off."

Police said it was expected post-mortem examinations would be carried out on Sunday.

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All rail services on the West Coast Main Line between Rugby and Stafford remained suspended.

A Network Rail spokesman said engineers hoped to finish the work by Sunday evening.

"It should be clear for Monday morning commuters," he said.

There will be a reduced service and delays of up to 60 minutes on Virgin Trains services between London and north-west England which are being diverted via Coventry and will not call at stations between Nuneaton and Stafford.

On local services run by London Midland there is a replacement bus service calling at stations between Stafford and Rugby, with up to an extra hour added to journey times.

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