Light aircraft crashes in Greater Manchester sparking major emergency response
A light aircraft believed to be carrying two people has crashed in Littleborough, Greater Manchester.
The plane is believed to have taken off from Birmingham around 10am this morning before its flight path ended near the northern town, according to Flightradar.
The crash is thought to have happened on land near to Hollingworth Lake and Blackstone Edge.
A torn parachute has been seen dangling from a pylon close to where the aircraft hit the ground.
Sign up for all of the latest stories
Start your day informed with Metro's News Updates newsletter or get Breaking News alerts the moment it happens.
One witness told Metro they saw a ‘big yellow parachute stuck round the pylon’ from near the lake.
Helicopters were spotted flying over the area of the crash as a major emergency response was underway on the ground.
Police, paramedics and firefighters are currently on the scene following the crash.
A local told Metro that ‘more than 100’ emergency response vehicles rushed down their road towards the crashsite, including ‘ambulances, police, CID, cranes and foam units’.
They described the weather in Littleborough as ‘awful’, saying it was ‘very windy, showers on and off, foggy and grey’.
It has not yet been confirmed whether anybody is seriously injured.
The crash is being investigated by the Air Accidents Investigations Branch, the agency has confirmed.
In a statement, a GMP spokesperson said: ‘Emergency services are responding to reports of a light aircraft crash in the Littleborough area. We are currently in attendance to establish the full circumstances and assess any casualties.
‘A scene is in place whilst emergency service workers conduct their enquiries and people are asked to avoid the area as this work is carried out.’
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.