Littleborough plane crash LIVE: Aircraft goes down near houses with two men killed
An aircraft has crashed in a small UK town this afternoon and killed two men, sparking a huge emergency services[1] response. The crash[2] occurred on farmland near the M62 in Littleborough, Rochdale. The light aircraft, a Cirrus SR20, took off from Birmingham Airport at around 10am before losing altitude around half an hour later and going down in the Greater Manchester[3] town, flight-tracking data shows.
Locals reported seeing multiple incident units near Hollingworth Lake, Manchester Evening News[4] reports. Greater Manchester Police[5] urged members of the public to avoid the area. Did you see what happened? email [email protected][6]
22:46Zahra KhaliqWitness heard aircraft which 'appeared to be malfunctioning'
Martin Kelly, who was waiting at a nearby bus stop at around 11.30am, heard what he believes to have been the plane fly over. "It just didn't sound right," he told MEN. "It was very low for a start and it appeared to be malfunctioning. It sounded very, very strange.
"I was stood at the bus stop with a woman and we both looked up and said 'What was that?'. It was a loud droning noise, like the the sound of a misfiring rocket, but it wasn't constant. "We get a lot of light aircraft flying over here, so I am familiar with their engine noise and something was definitely amiss."
21:47Zahra KhaliqMore images from the crash site today
Photos show emergency services at the site of the aircraft crash earlier today.
In one image, a yellow parachute can be seen hanging from the nearby pylon.
Several fire engines lined up at the scene (Men Media)
20:30Zahra Khaliq'Extremely windy' conditions reported near crash site
"Extremely windy" conditions were reported near the site of the light aircraft crash today, MEN reports. The plane left Birmingham Airport from the Executive Jet Centre at around 10am today before flying north over Burton Upon Trent, the Peak District and Shepley. It then tuned left over the moors and Marsden View.
The altitude began to drop at around 10.34am and the plane crashed a short time later.
19:12Joe SmithPolice statement after 'devastating' crash killed two
Two men died in a light aircraft crash on farmland near Rochdale this morning, Greater Manchester Police has said. The plane, a Cirrus SR20, came down on farmland near the M62 in Littleborough near Rochdale around 40 minutes after take-off. Cops said they do not believe there was anyone else on board, and there were no reported injuries on the ground.
Two men have died following the plane crash (Getty Images)Chief Superintendent Danny Inglis, from GMP's Rochdale district, said: "This is a devastating incident where two people have lost their lives and our thoughts are with their families and friends."
Full story: Two confirmed dead after Littleborough plane crash[7]
18:50KEY EVENTTwo men killed in plane crash
Two men have died following this morning's plane crash in Littleborough. Greater Manchester Police said on Tuesday evening that the two passengers were confirmed dead following the crash. Officers disovered the bodies of two men, who were pronounced dead at the scene.
Formal identification is yet to take place.
18:12Zahra KhaliqPlane went down around 40 minutes into journey
The plane, which took off from Birmingham Airport at around 10am, is believed to have crashed around 40 minutes after take-off, according to FlightRadar24. Its altitude began to drop at around 10.34am and emergency services are understood to have arrived at around 11.30am.
17:33Zahra KhaliqOnboard parachute deployed before crash, witness says
Nigel Stanley, an aircraft enthusiast from Hollingworth Lake Caravan Park, said the plane appeared to have deployed its onboard parachute before it got tangled in a nearby electricity pylon. "We saw a lot of police earlier and that alerted us that something was wrong," he told MEN. "Where the pylons run along the bottom of Blackstone moor there is a parachute caught in one of the pylons.
"The parachute is there for if the engine malfunctions or there's a medical emergency. The mist is now low on the moor, but you can still see the parachute caught on the pylon."
A parachute canopy entangled in an electricity pylon (Getty Images)17:10Zahra KhaliqLocal farmer: There were 'engines and lights everywhere'
Local farmer Pete Robinson said he suddenly heard sirens and saw a "massive response going up Blackstone Edge" while he was feeding his sheep this morning. He told the BBC: "I went up into a top field and saw what I thought at the time to be a paraglider on the moor edge, engines and lights everywhere.
Hopefully they will be okay because the wind is horrendous up on the moor edge."
Police respond after a small plane crashed in a remote moor (Getty Images)16:35Zahra KhaliqNational Grid confirm no impact to power over pylon
The pylon beside the crash, which has been pictured with a yellow parachute attached to it, has not been damaged, the National Grid has confirmed. Electricity supply to the area is continuing as normal. The team are working with emergency services at the scene this afternoon.
A spokesperson said: "Our thoughts are with those affected by this incident, which is a matter for the police to investigate. We are working with the emergency services to support their response and help make the area safe."
16:07Zahra KhaliqPolice issue new statement
Greater Manchester Police have released a further statement on the plane crash. The statement read: "We are still at the scene of the light aircraft crash in Littleborough and working with other emergency services and the Air Accident Investigation Branch to try and establish the circumstances.
National Grid are also at the scene to support the response and help make the area safe." Chief Superintendent Danny Inglis, District Commander for GMP's Rochdale district, added: "We are working closely with emergency service colleagues and partner agencies to establish the full circumstances. "There will be an enhanced presence as officers and investigators comprehensively survey the area and ensure all available evidence is recovered.
We would ask people to please avoid the area while emergency services remain on scene, to ensure that a full investigation and review can be carried out. "If anyone has any information, or witnessed the crash, we would urge you to get in touch with us."
15:45Zahra KhaliqLarge emergency services response in Littleborough
Multiple emergency service vehicles, including police cars and ambulances, are at the scene of the crash in Littleborough this afternoon. Two people are believed to have been travelling on board the small plane when it went down on farmland near the M62.
MAJOR multi agency emergency response after plane calls Mayday over M62 moors before crashing
Search and Rescue Helicopter from Hull, the Yorkshire Air Ambulance, the North West Air Ambulance and National Police Air Service helicopter are scouring the Moors around Littleborough... pic.twitter.com/6e7j2wSdM9[8]
-- Yapp (@YappAppLtd) February 3, 2026[9]15:30Zahra KhaliqFlightradar shares image of plane involved in crash
Flightradar has shared a photo of the type of aircraft involved in this morning's crash. In an earlier statement, it said: "A Cirrus SR20, registered as G-GXVV, appears to have crashed near Rochdale in the United Kingdom. The aircraft departed Birmingham at 09:59 local time.
The last signal was received at around 10:39, south of the M62 motorway near Marsden. At this time, we are not aware of any potential casualties."
Flightradar shared a photo of the type of plane that crashed (Flightradar)15:12Zahra KhaliqPictured: Air ambulance at the scene
An image shows the dramatic emergency response in the aftermath of the crash. The aircraft, a small Cirrus SR20, took off from Birmingham Airport, and is believed to have been carrying two people.
Police, firefighters and an air ambulance were sent to a patch of farmland close to the M62 in Littleborough, Rochdale, just after 11am this morning.
A helicopter was deployed to the scene (Michael Perry / SWNS)14:53Eliana NunesThe aircraft took off from Birmingham Airport
It has been confirmed that the light aircraft involved in today's crash took off from Birmingham Airport this morning. A Birmingham Airport spokesperson said: "We can confirm a private light aircraft left BHX, from the XLR Executive Jet Centre at around 10am today. "We are supporting all our partners, and no further comment will be made until all facts are established by our third-party partners."
According to Flightradar24, the plane's altitude began to drop at around 10.34am.
14:32Eliana Nunes'It is a very windy day,' says local resident
Local resident Jennifer Wakelin told reporters: "I passed by a load of ambulances coming up and then got up the road and thought they were coming up here. You could just see ambulances, police cars and fire engines. "The farmer was walking down and he told me what had happened.
You can see the parachute hanging from the pylon over there." She added: "It is a very windy day, I'm surprised I haven't lost some trees. "You don't hear anything around here but my granddaughter heard all the sirens and ambulances."
14:28Eliana NunesAircraft appears to have deployed onboard parachute
Nigel Stanley, from nearby Hollingworth Lake Caravan Park, said the aircraft appeared to be a four-seat Cirrius SR22, adding that it appeared to have deployed its onboard parachute. Mr Stanley said: "We saw a lot of police earlier and that alerted us that something was wrong.
Where the pylons run along the bottom of Blackstone moor there is a parachute caught in one of the pylons. "The mist is now so low on the moor, but you can still see the parachute caught on the pylon."
14:16Eliana NunesInvestigation has been launched
The Air Accidents Investigations Branch has issued a statement regarding the incident. It said: "An accident involving a light aircraft which occurred today (3 February) near Rochdale, Greater Manchester has been notified to the AAIB.
An investigation has been launched and a multidisciplinary team of inspectors are on their way to the accident site."
14:00Eliana NunesPlane model equipped with parachute system
The Cirrus SR20 is known to deploy a parachute system. An image circulating on social media appears to show a yellow parachute canopy attached to a nearby pylon.
13:50Eliana NunesCrews arrived on scene at 11.30am
A spokesperson for the Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service confirmed crews arrived at the scene at around 11.30am.
Emergency crews at the scene (MEN)13:42KEY EVENTImage shows parachute caught on nearby pylon
An image circulating on social media appears to show a yellow parachute attached to a nearby pylon.
An image appears to show a parachute attached to a nearby pylon13:32Eliana NunesLarge emergency response
Pictures show a large emergency services presence at the scene.
The crash happened on farmland (MEN)13:27Eliana NunesFarmer heard sirens while feeding sheep
Pete Robinson, a farmer from Shaw, said he was feeding his sheep when he heard sirens and saw a "massive response going up Blackstone Edge". He told the BBC: "So I went up into a top field and saw what I thought at the time to be a paraglider on the moor edge, engines and lights everywhere."
Mr Robinson said he saw emergency crews running towards the pylon. "Hopefully they will be okay because the wind is horrendous up on the moor edge," he said.
Emergency services at the scene (MEN)13:14KEY EVENTYellow parachute attached to pylon
An image shared on social media appears to show a parachute caught on a nearby pylon. Stephanie Mills, from Dickey Steps Riding School, told BBC Radio Manchester that a huge yellow parachute could be seen attached to the pylon. "There wasn't any noise, I didn't hear anything but there is a huge yellow parachute.
There is a lot of police and helicopters here too," she said.
13:04KEY EVENTEmergency services on Tunshill Lane
A scene is in place on Tunshill Lane, just off Kiln Lane and near Tunshill Golf Club. An air ambulance attended the incident and later landed at Salford Royal Hospital, according to the BBC.
12:55Eliana NunesAircraft is Cirrus SR20
According to Flightradar24, the aircraft is a Cirrus SR20, a small piston-engined, four- or five-seat composite monoplane. It took off from Birmingham before losing altitude around half an hour later.
The aircraft crashed in Littleborough (Flightrader24)12:53Eliana NunesPolice, firefighters and paramedics at scene
There is a huge emergency services presence at the scene following the crash in Littleborough.
12:46KEY EVENTMap shows location of crash
A map shows the exact location of the crash in the Littleborough area.
12:43KEY EVENTTwo people on board aircraft
It is understood that two people were on board the aircraft at the time of the crash.
12:40Eliana NunesAircraft believed to have taken off from the Midlands
The light aircraft took off from the Midlands this morning, according to Flightradar24.
12:32Eliana NunesMap shows area where crash happened
A light aircraft has crashed in the Littleborough area of Greater Manchester.
The exact location has not yet been confirmed, though local reports suggest it is near Hollingworth Lake or Blackstone Edge.
References
- ^ emergency services (www.mirror.co.uk)
- ^ crash (www.mirror.co.uk)
- ^ Greater Manchester (www.mirror.co.uk)
- ^ Manchester Evening News (www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk)
- ^ Greater Manchester Police (www.mirror.co.uk)
- ^ [email protected] (www.mirror.co.uk)
- ^ Two confirmed dead after Littleborough plane crash (www.mirror.co.uk)
- ^ pic.twitter.com/6e7j2wSdM9 (t.co)
- ^ February 3, 2026 (twitter.com)