Teenager Killed in Flight Training Crash Was on His 10th Lesson

A 16-year-old boy, who was on his 10th flying exercise, died alongside his 80-year-old instructor, Ian Haggis, when their Piper Tomahawk II crashed near Loch Lomond. The two-seater plane went down in a field northeast of Drymen, Stirlingshire, on Friday afternoon.

His parents and Haggis's wife were informed of the tragedy at a portable cabin at Glasgow Airport after the aircraft was reported missing. An aviation expert noted the particular poignancy of the crash occurring so early in the teenager's flight training.

Stuart Abernethy, a local resident, reported hearing an aircraft engine over-revving before looking up and seeing the light aircraft descending in a spiral for approximately the last 10 seconds of its visible flight. He stated there was no smoke or impact sound, only a sudden silence after the plane vanished from sight.

Haggis, known affectionately as the 'Flying Haggis', was remembered on social media as a gentleman and an experienced aviator. Colleagues from Renfrew-based Leading Edge Flight Training, where Haggis worked, expressed devastation and offered deepest sympathies to the families involved. They confirmed the company is cooperating with the investigation.

An aviation industry insider described Haggis as a passionate and generous man dedicated to teaching others to fly. A previous employer, Phoenix Flight Training, listed his career experience as an instructor for RAF Scholarship students, an air taxi pilot, and a corporate pilot.

The 45-year-old Piper Tomahawk II aircraft took off from Glasgow Airport at 4:15 p.m. on Friday and stopped transmitting approximately 20 minutes later. Emergency services were called to the crash site around 4:45 p.m., where both individuals were pronounced dead.

The Air Accidents Investigation Branch has launched an investigation into the accident, with a team dispatched to the site near Drymen to gather evidence. The exact cause of the crash remains unknown, and it is unclear who was piloting the aircraft at the time of the incident.

The minimum age to begin logging flight hours for a pilot's license is 14, with the age for flying solo being 16. A pilot's license typically requires 45 hours of flight time. The crash site was secured by Police Scotland, and temporary airspace restrictions were implemented.

Gavin Birch-Williams, managing director of Glasgow Airport, stated that the airport's thoughts are with the affected families and friends during this deeply tragic event.