UK: Indian-origin couple killed after light aircraft crashes in remote Wales area
An Indian-origin couple in their 50s were killed on the spot after the light aircraft they were travelling in crashed at a remote location in northern Wales, according to the police. The deceased have been identified as Ketan Swali and his wife Sheetal.
Ketan is believed to have been piloting the Piper PA-28 aircraft, accompanied by his wife, Sheetal, when they took off from Tatenhill Airport in Burton-upon-Trent, in England’s West Midlands region, last week.
According to the police, the crash site was located in an isolated area in the hills above Trawsfynydd, close to Blaenau Ffestiniog in Gwynedd.
Aircraft wreckage found after search operation
North Wales Police said air and ground searches were launched on August 14 after they were informed that the plane had failed to land at Caernarfon Airport in Snowdonia, north-west Wales, as scheduled. “Multi-agency air and ground searches were carried out, and the aircraft was found in a remote location near Trawsfynydd,” said a North Wales Police spokesperson.
“The two people on board were sadly pronounced deceased at the scene,” the spokesperson said.
“Our thoughts are with the families and friends of those involved in this tragic incident,” said Chief Superintendent Owain Llewellyn of North Wales Police.
AAIB to probe incident
The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) has been made aware of the incident and has deployed a team of investigators. “We will support the AAIB with their investigation to ensure the circumstances leading to this incident are fully understood. This has been a challenging search operation, and I am grateful to all of the agencies involved for their professionalism and dedication,” said the Chief Superintendent.
Assistant Coroner Sarah Riley adjourned the inquest into the couple’s deaths as the investigation into the circumstances surrounding the crash remains ongoing. She confirmed that a pathologist had provisionally determined the cause of death as ‘major impact trauma.’
According to online company records, Ketan Swali was a Leicester-based director of engineering firm Arc Euro Trade Ltd. He had wound up the manufacturing business earlier this year.
13 killed in Peru plane crash
Earlier this month, a tourist aircraft carrying foreign visitors on a sightseeing tour over Peru’s famous Nazca Lines crashed near the city of Nazca on Saturday, killing all 13 people on board, according to the country’s Ministry of Transport and Communications (MTC).
The ministry confirmed that the aircraft was carrying 11 foreign tourists and two crew members, adding that there were no survivors. Authorities have launched an investigation to determine the cause of the crash.
In an official statement, Peru’s Ministry of Transport and Communications said the Cessna Caravan C-208, registration OB-2001, was operated by Aerodiana, an airline authorised to conduct special tourist flights. The aircraft departed Pisco Airport at 12:10 pm with 11 passengers of Italian, German and Spanish nationalities and two crew members for a sightseeing flight over the Nazca Lines.
(With PTI inputs)
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