Two Britons killed in plane crash

Updated 14.40 Mon Jun 02 2008

Keywords: crash, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Italy, plane

Two Britons have been killed in a light aircraft crash in Italy, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has confirmed.

The accident happened near the town of Rovereto in the Veneto area of the country.

The men, identified in reports as John Ritchie, 81, and Kevin Young, 54, died when the single-engined Socata Tampico crashed in a valley

The men, identified in reports as John Ritchie, 81, and Kevin Young, 54, died when the single-engined Socata Tampico they were in crashed in a valley near the town of Rovereto, around 50 miles north of Verona.

The Italian pilot Vittorio Rossetti and his wife Marinella were also killed in the accident, which happened at around 4.30pm yesterday.

The Gazzettino newspaper described Mr Rossetti as a "very experienced" pilot and said engine failure was the probable cause of the accident.

All four victims are thought to have been taking part in a conference of the Flying Rotarians, a branch of Rotary International.

The event was held in Venice over the weekend and involved a flight yesterday to visit an aeronautical museum in the town of Trento.

The plane took off from Venice's Nicelli Airport and stopped in Trento before tragedy struck as it made the return journey.

An initial reconstruction of the accident suggests the plane crashed in dense forest before rolling for some distance and catching fire, according to reports in the Italian press.

The Italian air safety agency has launched an investigation into the crash.