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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Britons dead in Italian air crash | Britons dead in Italian air crash |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| Two Britons have died in a light aircraft plane crash in north west Italy, the Foreign Office has said. | |
| The place carrying John Ritchie, 81, from Hertfordshire, and dentist Kevin Young, 54, from Cambridgeshire, came down near Rovereto on 1 June. | |
| According to reports, the Italian pilot and his wife were also killed. | According to reports, the Italian pilot and his wife were also killed. |
| A spokeswoman for the Foreign Office said that the next of kin had been informed and that consular assistance was being provided. | A spokeswoman for the Foreign Office said that the next of kin had been informed and that consular assistance was being provided. |
| 'Very experienced' | 'Very experienced' |
| The plane had taken off from Nicelli airport in Venice and stopped in Trento before crashing during the return leg of the trip. | The plane had taken off from Nicelli airport in Venice and stopped in Trento before crashing during the return leg of the trip. |
| All four victims are understood to have belonged to the Flying Rotarians, part of the Rotary International organisation. | All four victims are understood to have belonged to the Flying Rotarians, part of the Rotary International organisation. |
| Tributes to Mr Ritchie, from Letchworth, were paid by Brian Marshall, president of the town's Rotary Club. | Tributes to Mr Ritchie, from Letchworth, were paid by Brian Marshall, president of the town's Rotary Club. |
| "He was fascinated by the flying Rotarians and enjoyed that very much," he said. | "He was fascinated by the flying Rotarians and enjoyed that very much," he said. |
| "He was a great man, very active and liked by everyone. He will very genuinely be very much missed by all." | "He was a great man, very active and liked by everyone. He will very genuinely be very much missed by all." |
| Mr Young, lived in March, with his wife and two young children. | |
| A spokesman for the Rotary Club said: "Kevin was a friendly and cheerful personality who will be sorely missed, not only in Rotary but also by the wider community." | |
| The Italian pilot, named as Vittorio Rossetti, was "very experienced", the Gazzettino newspaper said. His wife, Marinella, who is also believed to have died in the crash | The Italian pilot, named as Vittorio Rossetti, was "very experienced", the Gazzettino newspaper said. His wife, Marinella, who is also believed to have died in the crash |
| Engine failure was the likely cause of the accident, the newspaper added. | Engine failure was the likely cause of the accident, the newspaper added. |
| According to the AP news agency, the aircraft came down in a ravine of the Borcola Pass, 50 miles north of Verona. | According to the AP news agency, the aircraft came down in a ravine of the Borcola Pass, 50 miles north of Verona. |
| An accident reconstruction reportedly suggested the single-engined Socata Tampico aircraft had crashed in thick woodland, rolled for some distance and caught fire. | An accident reconstruction reportedly suggested the single-engined Socata Tampico aircraft had crashed in thick woodland, rolled for some distance and caught fire. |
| Witnesses told the Italian press they had seen the aircraft flying at a low altitude before dropping sharply to the ground at about 1630 local time (1530 BST). | Witnesses told the Italian press they had seen the aircraft flying at a low altitude before dropping sharply to the ground at about 1630 local time (1530 BST). |
| During the weekend the Rotarians held a conference in Venice, which included a trip to an aeronautical museum in Trento. | During the weekend the Rotarians held a conference in Venice, which included a trip to an aeronautical museum in Trento. |
| The Italian air safety agency has begun an investigation. | The Italian air safety agency has begun an investigation. |