Two men are dead after a routine flight, and what went wrong is still a mystery

A light aircraft crashed onto farmland in Littleborough, Greater Manchester, killing the two men on board. The small Cirrus SR20 went down near Rochdale and the M62 with emergency services confirming there were no survivors. Investigators have begun examining the circumstances, but the cause of the crash has not yet been determined.

As highlighted by the BBC, Greater Manchester Police confirmed that the bodies of both occupants were recovered from the scene and that no one else was believed to be on board the aircraft. Police also confirmed that no injuries were reported on the ground, despite the crash occurring on active farmland.

The aircraft had departed from Birmingham Airport earlier in the morning on what appeared to be a routine private flight. The sudden nature of the crash and the lack of immediate explanations have left investigators working to establish what went wrong during the short journey.

A key safety system appears to have been deployed

One of the most notable details at the crash site involves the Cirrus SR20’s built-in parachute system, which is designed to lower the aircraft safely in an emergency. Images from the scene appeared to show a bright yellow parachute canopy tangled on a nearby electricity pylon, suggesting the system may have been deployed before impact.

The flight left the XLR Executive Jet Centre at Birmingham Airport. The facility primarily serves private and VIP aircraft, and the plane was airborne for roughly an hour before crashing near Tunshill Lane, close to Tunshill Golf Club.

Emergency services, including police, firefighters, and an air ambulance, responded quickly to the scene, establishing a large cordon around the farmland. The Air Accidents Investigation Branch is now working alongside Greater Manchester Police to recover evidence and determine the sequence of events leading up to the crash. Elsewhere, an ICE detention center purchase also drew attention after new details emerged.

Several local witnesses described seeing the yellow canopy before realizing a plane had gone down. Farmer Pete Robinson said he initially thought he was looking at a paraglider before noticing the emergency response, adding that wind conditions on the nearby moor were severe at the time. In separate reporting, a DOJ Epstein file error prompted questions about how information was handled.

Chief Superintendent Danny Inglis of Greater Manchester Police confirmed the force would maintain an enhanced presence at the site while the investigation continues. He urged anyone who witnessed the incident or has relevant information to contact the police as investigators work to establish why the aircraft crashed despite the apparent deployment of its emergency parachute system.