Britain’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) has deployed investigators to the scene of a light-aircraft crash near Drymen, north of Glasgow, in which a 16-year-old boy and an 80-year-old man died.
The AAIB announced the investigation on Saturday, 17 October 2026, following the accident on Friday afternoon.
In its official statement, the agency confirmed that a specialist team had travelled to the crash site to make enquiries and gather evidence as part of an aviation safety investigation.
The cause of the accident has not been established.
Two people pronounced dead at the scene
According to Police Scotland, officers received a report of the crash north-east of Drymen, in the Stirling council area, at approximately 4.45pm on Friday, 16 October.
Emergency services attended, but both occupants were pronounced dead at the scene.
Police confirmed that the victims were a 16-year-old boy and an 80-year-old man and that their next of kin had been informed.
The 4.45pm time refers to when police received the report. It should not be treated as a confirmed time of impact.
The authorities have not publicly identified the two victims in their initial statements.
Aircraft had departed from Glasgow Airport
Glasgow Airport confirmed that the light aircraft had departed from the airport before the accident.
Gavin Birch-Williams, the airport’s managing director, expressed condolences to the families and friends of those who died.
The Press Association report carried by The Independent said the aircraft took off shortly after 4.15pm and stopped transmitting approximately 20 minutes later.
Those reported flight details may help establish the aircraft’s movements, but a loss of transmission does not, by itself, explain why an accident occurred.
Investigators have not announced whether weather conditions, mechanical problems, or any other factors contributed to the crash.
AAIB begins aviation safety investigation
The AAIB is responsible for investigating civil aviation accidents and serious incidents in the United Kingdom.
Its role is to establish what happened, examine possible contributing factors, and identify safety lessons that could help prevent similar accidents.
Investigators may examine the aircraft, its maintenance history, flight information, weather records, and other relevant evidence.
The precise scope of the Drymen investigation will depend on the evidence available.
The AAIB has confirmed that its team is gathering evidence at the scene but has not announced findings about the cause.
Police Scotland is also conducting enquiries into the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
The police enquiries and the AAIB safety investigation have different responsibilities. The AAIB’s principal purpose is accident prevention rather than assigning criminal liability.
Temporary airspace restrictions introduced
Police Scotland has confirmed that temporary airspace restrictions are in place over the Drymen area to support the investigation.
The restrictions include drones and are expected to remain in place while investigators carry out their work.
Police warned that flying in restricted airspace is a criminal offence and advised people to check whether flights are legally permitted before operating aircraft or drones in the area.
Restricting flights near an accident scene can help protect emergency personnel, investigators, and the evidence they need to examine.
Members of the public should follow the current restrictions rather than assume the airspace is available for recreational drone flights.
Questions remain over the cause of the crash
The investigation is at an early stage, and authorities have not established the sequence of events that led to the aircraft coming down.
The AAIB has not announced when it expects to publish its findings.
Further information may emerge as investigators examine the wreckage, flight records, and other evidence.
The confirmed developments are that two people died in Friday’s accident, police enquiries are continuing, and the AAIB announced the deployment of its investigation team on Saturday.
The next significant update will be evidence establishing how the crash occurred and whether any aviation safety recommendations are necessary.
