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Light aircraft crashes 'with two on board'

Tom Mullen,North Westand
Ewan Gawne,North West
News imageBBC An image being shared on social media later showed what appeared to be a parachute caught on a nearby pylon, showing a yellow material in misty conditionsBBC
An image being shared on social media later showed what appeared to be a parachute caught on a nearby pylon

A light aircraft thought to have been carrying two people has crashed in Greater Manchester, with emergency services called to the scene.

Police, firefighters and an air ambulance were sent to a patch of farmland close to the M62 in Littleborough, Rochdale, shortly after 11:00 GMT.

According to the Flight Radar website, which monitors air traffic, the downed aircraft is a small Cirrus SR 20 and had taken off from Birmingham.

The model of plane is known to deploy a parachute system and images circulating online appeared to show a yellow parachute canopy caught in a nearby pylon.

"We are currently in attendance to establish the full circumstances and assess any casualties," Greater Manchester Police said.

"A scene is in place while emergency service workers conduct their enquiries and people are asked to avoid the area as this work is carried out."

The air ambulance called to the scene - in Tunshill Lane which is just off Kiln Lane and close to Tunshill Golf Club - later landed at Salford Royal Hospital.

News imageFlight Radar A grey Cirrus SR 20 aircraft, photographed on the Flight Radar websiteFlight Radar
The Flight Radar website showed an image of the aircraft involved

Pete Robinson said he was feeding his sheep when he heard sirens and saw a "massive response going up Blackstone Edge".

"So I went up into a top field and saw what I thought at the time to be a paraglider on the moor edge, engines and lights everywhere."

The farmer, from Shaw, said he saw response teams running up the track to the pylon.

"Hopefully they will be okay because the wind is horrendous up on the moor edge," he said.

Police, firefighters and an air ambulance were sent to a patch of farmland in Littleborough.

Stephanie Mills, from Dickey Steps Riding School, told BBC Radio Manchester there were lots of emergency vehicles in the area a huge yellow parachute could be seen attached to the pylon.

"There wasn't any noise, I didn't hear anything but there is a huge yellow parachute. There is a lot of police and helicopters here too."

Andrew Mayall, a green keeper at Whittaker Golf Club, said: "I noticed something about 10ish this morning.

"I thought at first that a massive sheet had been blown up there at first as it's very windy up here."

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