Flying Instructor Ian Haggis Identified Among Two Killed in Loch Lomond Air Crash
An 80-year-old man, identified as flying instructor Ian Haggis, and a 16-year-old boy died when their light aircraft crashed near Loch Lomond.
An 80-year-old flying instructor, Ian Haggis, and a 16-year-old boy were killed when their light aircraft crashed near Loch Lomond on Friday. The teenager's identity has not yet been released.
The pair departed Glasgow Airport at 4:17 PM, and their aircraft stopped transmitting at 4:37 PM, a few miles northeast of Drymen. Emergency services were alerted to the crash site at approximately 4:45 PM. Both individuals were pronounced dead at the scene.
Tributes shared on social media by former students described Haggis as "a gentleman and an experienced aviator" and a "good friend." His nickname, "the Flying Haggis," was referenced in previous social media posts by Leading Edge Flight Training, a school based in Renfrew, to which the aircraft is registered.
The aircraft, a Piper Tomahawk II, had a complex flight path on Friday. It initially took off from Cumbernauld Airport at 11:46 AM, flying to Glasgow Airport for a 15-minute stop. The plane then departed Glasgow for a two-hour flight to Newport-on-Tay before returning to Glasgow Airport. After a layover of just over an hour, it began its final flight.
Gavin Birch-Williams, managing director of Glasgow Airport, expressed his condolences, stating, "This is a deeply tragic event, and the thoughts and heartfelt sympathies from all at Glasgow Airport are with the friends and families affected."
The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) is conducting an inquiry into the incident, and temporary airspace restrictions are in place over the affected area.
