Plane crash near M1 investigated by air accident officials

An investigation into how a small plane with two men on board crashed into a Nottinghamshire field near the M1 is continuing.

Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) staff have been at the site near Hucknall following the accident at about 13:30 BST on Saturday.

Police said the two men were killed when the plane came down near junction 26.

Witnesses said the pilot had swerved to avoid the motorway seconds before.

An AAIB spokesman said the investigation was ongoing and would "take as long as it takes".

'Lost control'

Craig Wing, 31, from Clifton, was approaching junction 27 when he saw the aircraft was in trouble.

He said: "It lost control and it just dipped straight down. [The pilot] managed to swerve from the M1 and into the field.

"I've gone straight over to the plane and obviously seen the two people, it was very upsetting.

"I had to do what I had to do. I wanted to try and help."

Emergency crews had to drive across fields to reach the wreckage

The nearest runway to where the plane came down is at Hucknall Aerodrome, operated by the Merlin Flying Club and owned by Rolls Royce.

Robert Dawes, from Newthorpe, who lives near to the airfield, said he was walking his dogs when he saw the emergency services in the field.

He said; "It's surprising as not many use [Hucknall Aerodrome] runway anymore. It's not very nice at all.

"It's somewhere I come regular but for the last 30 years I've not witnessed anything like that."

One lane was closed on the M1 southbound following the accident.