Pilot And Passenger Taken To Hospital For Treatment

Two people were hospitalised after a light aircraft believed to be a Zenair 601 crashed in a field near Maybole in Ayrshire on Wednesday (May 14th).

According to reports, the plane came down on a single track road near the B7045 after taking off at Bute Airfield in Rothesay in the afternoon.

Police Scotland confirmed that both the pilot and passenger onboard the aircraft were taken to hospital for treatment, although neither was believed to have suffered injuries thought to have been life-threatening.

Investigations into the crash, which led to the temporary closure of some roads in the area, are continuing.

Expert Opinion

At this time there is little information as to why the aircraft crashed in the field so it is crucial that the air accident investigators identify the full chain of events that lead to this accident. <br/> <br/>"Amongst other things, they will need to determine whether a problem with the aircraft, human factors and/or weather contributed to the accident. Although a light single engine aircraft is capable of landing in a field of sufficient size which is obstacle free, if there is a situation or emergency that causes the aircraft to have to land on a surface that is not an airfield, this can carry considerable risk, especially if there are poor landing options available to the aircraft. <br/> <br/>"Through our work acting on behalf of the victims of light aircraft accidents, in the UK and across the globe, we have seen first-hand how a crash of this kind can have significant risks that are often fatal. Fortunately in this accident the pilot and passenger survived. <br/> <br/>"Identification of the causes of this accident is vital to help ensure that lessons can be learned to help improve flight safety and prevent a similar accident in the future."