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The Rest and Be Thankful where the crash happened. 06_a28jet02 |
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The road is expected to reopen today (Friday). 06_a28jet03 |
THE A83, Mid Argyll and Kintyre’s main road artery is expected to reopen on Friday afternoon (July 3) after an RAF Tornado aircraft crashed into a hillside in Glen Kinglas on Thursday morning.
The two crew on board died when the fighter aircraft crashed into the hillside.
RAF Squadron leader Paul Lipscombe spoke to the press near to the scene, a hillside on the Loch Fyne side of the Rest and Be Thankful on Thursday afternoon. He said: ‘We are very much in the early stages of securing the area and recovering the situation.’
A spokesman for TranServ, responsible for the trunk road, said the road closure was until inquiries and the investigation were carried out.
West Coast Motors, operators of the Glasgow bus route, had to send its buses via Crianlarich until the road reopens.
Wreckage from the aircraft from RAF Leuchers is spread over a large area of the hillside and the road remains closed while crash investigations work at the scene and the area is thoroughly checked to make sure all potential hazards are removed.
Strathclyde Fire and Rescue service is working alongside the RAF; as well as sending fire appliances and two major incident units with heavy rescue equipment to the scene a technical support unit is now dealing with any potentially hazardous materials to minimise any damage to the environment.
A press spokesman for the RAF said: ‘At the moment our thoughts and prayers are with the families, friends and colleagues of the two aircrew who lost their lives today. The crash is being investigated at the moment. There will be a service inquiry held by the RAF.’
John MacDonald a resident of Cairndow, said: ‘The planes were going round and round all morning. It was unusual the way they were flying – it was like one big dogfight.’
Anne Bell, of Lochgilphead, who was on her way to Glasgow with her two grandchildren at the time of the crash said: ‘The two jets passed over us in Arrochar probably about two minutes before the crash happened. The noise was so loud and they were flying very low. And then we didn’t hear anything else – it’s terrifying.’
