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Funerals for plane tragedy trio Hundreds at plane crash funerals
(28 minutes later)
The funerals are taking place of three men killed last Friday in a light aircraft crash in County Down. Hundreds of mourners have attended the funerals of two of the men killed in a light aircraft crash in County Down last week.
Pilot Hugh McKnight, a 54-year-old retired police officer, and passengers Steven Annett and Andrew Burden, both 24, were all from the Annalong area. Pilot Hugh McKnight, 54, and Stephen Annett, 24, were killed in the crash along with Andrew Burden, 24, who will be buried later on Friday.
They were on their way home from the Isle of Man TT motorcycle races. The accident happened as they returned from the Isle of Man TT motorcycle races last Friday.
An investigation is continuing into how the light aircraft crashed in a field and burst into flames, near a private airstrip in Kilkeel. An investigation into what caused the aeroplane to crash is continuing.
The funeral service for Mr Annett is taking place in Mourne Presbyterian Church in Kilkeel, while separate services for Mr McKnight and Mr Burden will be held in Annalong Presbyterian Church later this afternoon. Mr McKnight, a retired police officer, was buried after a service at Annalong Presbyterian Church, while Mr Annett's funeral service was conducted at Mourne Presbyterian Church.
Speaking at his service, Mr Annett's father, Stanley, said his son was a very special person.
Stephen was the best son any dad could hope to have," he said.
"Like me, he was a man of few words but one look from him was worth a thousand words, such was the bond we had," he said.
"I just had to ask him for help and he would have come running. I wish I could see him right now and tell him I love him, but that will now have to wait 'til we see him again in heaven."
The Rev William Bingham told mourners that stone yard worker Stephen helped cut the memorial stone to Diana, Princess of Wales, in London and the Armed Forces memorial in Staffordshire.
Mr Bingham said he was a good worker who stuck at the job until it was finished.
"Although his name will never be on the memorials (to Diana and the Armed Forces), they will in one sense stand as a memorial to some of his work," he added.
The Rev Stuart Finlay, gave the funeral address at Mr McKnight's service.
He said the former reservist policeman, who had spent 30 years with the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) and Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), had been fanatical about motorcycle racing.
"He had a long and exemplary service record in both the RUC and the PSNI through the very worst of the Troubles - a total of 30 years of unbroken service of which Hugh and his family were extremely proud," he said.
"In my Bible notes on Wednesday was this little comment: 'Truly great friends are hard to find, difficult to leave, and impossible to forget'. And for many of us, Hugh was a friend who will be impossible to forget."