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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Aircraft victims to be identified | Aircraft victims to be identified |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| The names of five people killed in an air crash in Warwickshire are expected to be released later. | The names of five people killed in an air crash in Warwickshire are expected to be released later. |
| The bodies of two men and two women who were in a Cessna 402 aircraft, and one person who was in a solo-piloted small aircraft, were recovered on Monday. | The bodies of two men and two women who were in a Cessna 402 aircraft, and one person who was in a solo-piloted small aircraft, were recovered on Monday. |
| The aircraft collided above Coombe Abbey near Coventry Airport on Sunday. | The aircraft collided above Coombe Abbey near Coventry Airport on Sunday. |
| Post-mortem examinations are due to be carried out and police will release the victims names once formal identification has taken place. | |
| Fingertip search | Fingertip search |
| Rescue teams made up of officers from Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service and the RAF worked for nearly two days to recover the bodies. | Rescue teams made up of officers from Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service and the RAF worked for nearly two days to recover the bodies. |
| The first body, thought to be that of the small aircraft pilot, was found by rescue crews near Coombe Abbey, about two miles from Coventry Airport. | The first body, thought to be that of the small aircraft pilot, was found by rescue crews near Coombe Abbey, about two miles from Coventry Airport. |
| Teams searching Brandon Wood later found the other four bodies. It certainly has had a profound impact on all of us Colin Dennis, RVL managing director | |
| The crash victims' families have laid flowers at the edge of the wood. | The crash victims' families have laid flowers at the edge of the wood. |
| Investigators are preparing to start a full fingertip search of the crash sites to try to work out how the accident happened. | Investigators are preparing to start a full fingertip search of the crash sites to try to work out how the accident happened. |
| All four people on board the Cessna - three pilots and an engineer - were employees of specialist survey company Reconnaissance Ventures Ltd (RVL), based at Coventry airport. | |
| 'Extremely experienced' | |
| RVL managing director Colin Dennis said the team had been a minute off landing at the airport. | RVL managing director Colin Dennis said the team had been a minute off landing at the airport. |
| He said: "The people involved were extremely experienced pilots with many hundreds, indeed thousands, of hours of flying time. | He said: "The people involved were extremely experienced pilots with many hundreds, indeed thousands, of hours of flying time. |
| "All were talking all the time to air traffic control. They were within a minute off landing at the airport in an entirely normal flight. | "All were talking all the time to air traffic control. They were within a minute off landing at the airport in an entirely normal flight. |
| "There were no technical issues, no problems. They were just returning perfectly normally, and suddenly they are involved in a mid-air collision. | "There were no technical issues, no problems. They were just returning perfectly normally, and suddenly they are involved in a mid-air collision. |
| "It certainly has had a profound impact on all of us."Teams were carrying out a fingertip search of the area | |
| The British Microlight Aircraft Association (BMAA) said the smaller aircraft involved in the crash was a home-built kit plane. | |
| Geoff Weighell, chief executive of the BMAA, said: "I have confirmed that the aircraft was not a microlight. | |
| "It was a two seat home-built light aircraft from the LAA (Light Aircraft Association) fleet. | |
| "Irrespective of aircraft type I would like to offer the condolences of all the BMAA membership to the families and friends of the pilots and passengers of the two aircraft." | |
| Both aircraft came down on Sunday morning towards the front of Coombe Abbey, a historic luxury hotel. | |
| The Cessna landed in woods, while the light aircraft crashed into a cornfield about a mile away. | |
| Eyewitnesses previously praised the pilot of the Cessna for steering the aircraft away from a built-up area. |