Forensic scientists are today examining the wreckage of a light aircraft which crashed yesterday, killing two people.
The crash happened near a local airstrip at Sutton Cheney, near Hinckley, at about 6.45pm.
The bodies of the two victims were still in the wreckage this morning.
Police have sealed off the site.
The forensics team covered the wreckage of the plane overnight and investigations are continuing.
It is understood that the incident was reported to air investigators at about 7pm last night.
Residents in the nearby village of Fenny Drayton said they have been inundated with calls from relatives and friends to find out what happened.
Eyewitness Steve Holyoake, of Western Park, Leicester, was in his uncle Melv's garden in Potters Marston, about four miles from the scene of the plane crash when he heard a bang from the aircraft.
The 30-year-old print manager at Pyramid International, in Whetstone, said: "We saw a plane overhead, it was just a small light aircraft.It was almost directly above us.
"We heard a bang and then the engine cut out, it sounded like engine failure. There were five of us sat round and we all looked up when we heard the bang.
"It was just free coasting and I couldn't hear any attempt being made to re-start it. I have seen planes stop their engines and re-start them before."
He added: "The plane was cruising at about 2,000-3,000 feet, it wasn't doing anything particular, just flying along. The plane began banking about 20 degrees to the right and left, I assume to get a better view and see where the pilot might land.
"My uncle's neighbour is a helicopter pilot, so I know a little bit about flying from him.
"I imagine he was looking for somewhere to put the plane down.I tried to follow its path but there is a tall hedge in the garden and I lost sight of it."
He added: "When I last saw the plane it was at about 100 to 200 feet and went down behind some trees about four miles away. It seemed to be on a reasonably level glide path and I thought he might have spotted a field to land in. There was no sound of an impact and no sign of smoke or dust.
"We got up on some scaffolding at a neighbour's house and looked for any signs through binoculars and we assumed he'd found somewhere to land, so I was shocked when I heard later what had happened."
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