An elderly couple died when their light aircraft crashed in rural Leicestershire.
Police were called at 6.45pm yesterday following a report that a plane had come down in fields a few hundred yards from Stoke Golding Airfield, near Hinckley.
It is believed people at the airfield saw the plane come down and contacted the emergency services.
The elderly man and woman on board the light aircraft were pronounced dead at the scene, in fields off Fenns Lane.
They are yet to be formally identified but are believed to have strong links with the airfield.
Bouquets have been left at the gateway to the accident site off Mill Lane.
A tribute read "Bob and Olive, Keep flying in heaven my friends. We miss you. Nick and Trina, Ella and Wally Dog."
Eyewitness Steve Holyoake, of Western Park, Leicester, was in his uncle's garden in Potters Marston, about four miles from the scene of the plane crash, yesterday evening.
The 30-year-old said: "We heard a bang and then the engine cut out, it sounded like engine failure.
"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 to 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.
"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. 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 thorough binoculars and we assumed he'd found somewhere to land, so I was shocked when I heard later what had happened."
Forensic scientists today examined the wreckage of the aircraft.
Officers from Leicestershire Police are working in conjunction with the Air Accident Investigations Branch (AAIB) to investigate the cause of the crash.
A spokeswoman for AAIB confirmed: "A team has been sent to the site to carry out an investigation."
A file is being prepared for the coroner.
Residents in the nearby village of Fenny Drayton said they were inundated with calls from relatives and friends to find out what happened.
Paula Hobday, of Shenton, less than a mile from the crash site, said: "It is awful that people have died.
"There was a lot of activity at the airstrip over the weekend and aircraft and microlights frequently fly over our cottage."
The airstrip is owned and operated by Tim and Helen Jinks, but no-one was available for comment today.
Anyone with any information is asked to contact police on 101
