Light Aircraft Crashes Near Rochdale Sparking Major Response

On a blustery Tuesday morning, February 3, 2026, what began as a routine flight from Birmingham Airport quickly turned into a dramatic emergency in the rolling countryside of Greater Manchester. A light aircraft, identified as a Cirrus SR20, departed from the XLR Executive Jet Centre at Birmingham Airport (BHX) at around 10am, only to crash less than an hour later near Littleborough, between Blackstone Edge and Hollingworth Lake. The incident sparked a massive response from police, paramedics, firefighters, and the Air Accident Investigation Branch, leaving the region on edge and searching for answers.

The flight, which was charted by two individuals, appeared uneventful at first. According to data from FlightRadar24 cited by BirminghamLive, the plane was tracked heading north over Burton Upon Trent, the Peak District, and Shepley before veering left over the moors and Marsden View. But as the clock struck 10:34am, the aircraft’s altitude began to plummet. Within minutes, it crashed on the moorland, shocking residents and prompting an immediate scramble by emergency services.

Locals were the first to sense something was amiss. Pete Robinson, a farmer from Shaw, recounted to the BBC that he was tending his sheep when he heard sirens and witnessed a “massive response” from emergency vehicles. “I went up into a top field and saw what I thought at the time to be a paraglider on the moor edge, engines and lights everywhere,” Robinson said. “Hopefully they will be okay because the wind is horrendous up on the moor edge.”

Meanwhile, the skies above the crash site filled with helicopters, and the ground was soon teeming with police, paramedics, and firefighters. The Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service confirmed to the Manchester Evening News that their crews had arrived at the scene by 11:30am, supporting police and ambulance teams in their efforts to assess the situation and secure the area. The Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB) also dispatched a multidisciplinary team to investigate the circumstances surrounding the crash.

One of the most striking images from the scene was a large yellow parachute tangled in an electricity pylon near Blackstone Edge. Witnesses, including Stephanie Mills from Dickey Steps Riding School, described the surreal sight to BBC Radio Manchester: “There wasn’t any noise, I didn’t hear anything but there is a huge yellow parachute. There is a lot of police and helicopters here too.” Nigel Stanley, from the nearby Hollingworth Lake Caravan Park, told reporters that the aircraft appeared to have deployed its onboard parachute—a safety feature of the Cirrus SR20—before becoming ensnared on the pylon. “Where the pylons run along the bottom of Blackstone moor there is a parachute caught in one of the pylons. The mist is now so low on the moor, but you can still see the parachute caught on the pylon,” he observed.

Despite the dramatic scene, the National Grid quickly confirmed that the pylon had not been damaged and that electricity supply to the area remained unaffected. “Our thoughts are with those affected by this incident, which is a matter for the police to investigate,” a spokesperson said. “We are working with the emergency services to support their response and help make the area safe.”

Eyewitnesses on the ground and in neighboring communities described hearing unusual sounds as the plane made its fateful descent. Martin Kelly, waiting at a bus stop in Elland, West Yorkshire, told the Manchester Evening News, “It just didn’t sound right. It was very low for a start and it appeared to be malfunctioning. It sounded very, very strange. I was stood at the bus stop with a woman and we both looked up and said ‘What was that?’ It was a loud droning noise, like the sound of a misfiring rocket, but it wasn’t constant. We get a lot of light aircraft flying over here, so I am familiar with their engine noise and something was definitely amiss.”

In the immediate aftermath, Greater Manchester Police issued a statement urging the public to stay away from the area while investigations were underway. Chief Superintendent Danny Inglis, from GMP’s Rochdale district, emphasized the seriousness of the response: “We are working closely with emergency service colleagues and partner agencies to establish the full circumstances. There will be an enhanced presence as officers and investigators comprehensively survey the area and ensure all available evidence is recovered. We would ask people to please avoid the area while emergency services remain on scene, to ensure that a full investigation and review can be carried out.” He also called for any witnesses or those with information to come forward, providing contact details for the police’s Live Chat and phone lines.

The AAIB confirmed the launch of a full investigation, stating, “An accident involving a light aircraft which occurred today (3 February) near Rochdale, Greater Manchester has been notified to the AAIB. An investigation has been launched and a multidisciplinary team of inspectors are on their way to the accident site.” The presence of multiple emergency helicopters, as reported by the Daily Star, added to the urgency and scale of the response, with the air ambulance reportedly landing at Salford Royal Hospital.

Questions lingered throughout the day regarding the fate of the two people onboard. While official statements refrained from confirming injuries or fatalities, media outlets including BirminghamLive and the Daily Star reported that at least one person was believed to have evacuated the aircraft using the parachute system, evidenced by the chute’s presence on the pylon. However, as of publication, authorities had not released details about the condition of those involved.

Birmingham Airport, for its part, acknowledged the incident. “We can confirm that a private light aircraft left BHX, from the XLR Executive Jet Centre at around 10am today. We are supporting all our partners, and no further comment will be made until all facts are established by our third-party partners,” a spokesperson said.

The crash site, located near the scenic Hollingworth Lake and Blackstone Edge, is a popular beauty spot in the North West, making the incident all the more jarring for local residents and visitors. Images and video published by the Manchester Evening News showed a landscape transformed by flashing lights, emergency vehicles, and the unmistakable tension of a community grappling with a sudden disaster.

As the investigation continues, the region waits for further updates from authorities. For now, the story of the ill-fated Cirrus SR20 serves as a stark reminder of the unpredictability of flight and the swift, coordinated efforts of emergency services when the unthinkable happens.