TWO people died last night after a light aircraft crashed on the Black Isle north of Inverness.
The aircraft, a single-engine Jodel, had been on a flight between Dornoch and Inverness when it disappeared about 4.20pm from radar screens at Inverness Airport.
The Civil Aviation Authority said the aircraft, which was owned by seven or eight enthusiastic fliers known as the Cawdor Flying Group based at Inverness Airport, had been located just before 6pm.
It was later confirmed that a man and a woman were killed in the crash, but no further details of their identities were released.
However, it is believed they were from the Highlands.
The plane came down north-east of the Rosemarkie TV transmitter mast that serves the North of Scotland.
A Northern Constabulary spokesman said an air accident investigation team was expected to arrive at the scene this morning to examine the wreckage.
A spokesman at RAF Kinloss Rescue Co-ordination Centre said an RAF Lossiemouth helicopter was on the scene near Cromarty soon after 6pm along with Coastguard auxiliaries.
A spokeswoman for Highland and Islands Fire Brigade said Fortrose part-time firefighters and the emergency tender from Inverness fire HQ with specialist cutting gear were attending the crash scene at a spot known as Craighead, half a mile from the 400ft high mast that dominates the surrounding countryside.
The alarm was raised when Inverness Airport lost contact with the aircraft - call sign GAZAD - and an alert was issued to all aircraft in the area to keep a lookout for the Jodel.
Another light fixed-wing aircraft took off from Inverness to look for the missing plane and eventually found the crash scene in an open field not far from a track leading to a farm.
It circled the location and radioed what could be seen to other aircraft.
The call was picked up by Mr Dave Adam, of Specialist Helicopters, Inverness, who was flying his Squirrel helicopter back from Orkney.
He was guided in to the crash scene by the fixed-wing aircraft, and went down to the field to see if there were survivors. However, it is understood that he discovered that there was little chance of anyone being found alive.
The aircraft had apparently
nose-dived in to the field and flipped over on its back. Police said that as far as they were aware there was no emergency Mayday call from the aircraft before it crashed. There were patches of heavy fog and mist in the area at the time, said Mr Adam.
He was able to give the RAF Lossiemouth Sea King helicopter a satellite fix on the crash scene. When the Sea King landed it shut down its engines a short while later.
Superintendent Norman MacLeod, police area commander stationed at Dingwall, and his deputy Inspector John Macdonald, were called out to the crash scene.
A spokesman for the Department of Transport, Environment and the Regions said there was no further information available on the crash.
''We will certainly investigate it. Our people will begin their work when they receive their information from the emergency services,'' he said.
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