Investigation ongoing after RAF Tornado crashes into Arrochar hillside

Jul 10 2009 by Lorraine Waddell, Lennox Herald (main ed)

INVESTIGATIONS are still underway to establish the cause of a fatal plane crash near Arrochar.

The RAF Tornado plummeted into fields near to the Loch Lomondside village at around 11.45am last Thursday, killing both the pilot and his navigator.

Flight Lieutenant Kenneth Thompson, 27, from the Glasgow area and Flight Lieutenant Nigel Morton, 43, from Fife both perished in the crash.

The Leuchars aircraft was on a training flight over Argyll when it crashed. It was spotted shortly before the tragedy flying alongside another plane with eyewitnesses reporting that both jets were very low.

Air accident investigators along with police and the fire service have been combing the area ever since to try and establish the cause of the crash.

Eye witness Tony Beasley from Balloch has a caravan at nearby Ardgarten holiday park. He has been visiting the area for years and has regularly heard planes on training missions flying past

He saw the plane which crashed alongside another plane shortly before the tragic incident.

Tony said: “I was sitting in the awning of my caravan and I heard the noise, like a loud roaring noise.

“I looked out and the planes were really, really low. They were so low they could have been clipping the tops of the trees.

“I didn’t actually see the crash but I heard the noise. It sounded like thunder. I actually thought it might be thunder because of the weather but then I heard on the news what had happened.”

Dumbarton MSP Jackie Baillie has praised the quick response from the emergency services.

She said: “I am relieved that no civilians appear to have been injured after this crash.

“The rapid response of all the emergency services has been tremendous and I would like to acknowledge their efforts which have been first class.”