Pilot dies in plane crash

The crashed plane is believed to be a Piper Aerostar

A pilot has died after his aircraft crashed and burst into flames in a remote part of Perthshire.

The plane came down near Fortingall, close to Loch Tay, at about 1630 GMT on Thursday.

Inspector Gordon Nicholl of Tayside Police confirmed that a body had been found in the wreckage.

"We have found one body which we have still to formally confirm is a man.

The plane came down near Loch Tay

"A doctor is on his way to the scene to confirm that. We understand that he is the pilot," he said.

Police officers were initially unable to get close to the site because of the intensity of the fire.

The light aircraft - which had no passengers on board - is believed to be a six-seater Piper Aerostar, a twin piston-engined plane.

It was on a ferrying trip from Austria to the United States.

This leg of its journey was from Newcastle to Iceland.

It is understood that the plane had made a radio call requesting assistance and may have been making its way to a nearby airfield.

The crash happened near Fortingall

Aviation expert Jim Ferguson told BBC Radio Scotland: "My understanding is that air traffic control in Prestwick notified the RAF at Lossiemouth of it going missing."

Two rescue helicopters were scrambled from RAF Lossiemouth and the naval air station HMS Gannet, Prestwick, but were stood down shortly before 1800 GMT.

Two RAF mountain rescue teams from Leuchars were also stood down after firefighters extinguished the blaze.

The plane came down just 150 yards from the cottage of pensioner Mona MacRae.

'In flames'

She told of hearing unusual noises in the air outside her home.

"I heard the thing and went out to see and saw the plane in the sky quite clearly, even though it was getting dark," said the 73-year-old.

"I thought I saw a sort of orange glow inside it. I came back into the cottage before the plane crashed, but I went out again and it was in flames."

Steven Sylvester, 44, also witnessed the aftermath of the crash.

Emergency vehicles

"I hadn't seen anything until I went outside," he said.

"Then I looked to my right from the hotel and approximately a mile away I could see a fire burning on the hill.

"It didn't appear from where I was looking that it landed on a populated area.

"Then I saw emergency vehicles, the police, ambulance, etc.

"I could see quite a few flashing lights on the road at the bottom of the hill."