Selby: 'Heartbroken' families pay tribute to two men killed in North Yorkshire light aircraft crash

The pilot of the light aircraft, 21-year-old Matthew Bird and passenger Oliver Dawes, 24 were killed when the plane crashed in the field of Thorganby in Selby at around 9.50am on Sunday (July 28).

In a statement sent via North Yorkshire Police, Matthew’s family said they were left ‘utterly heartbroken’ by the tragedy. They said: Yesterday we lost our son, a brother, grandson, nephew, cousin and friend. Matthew meant so much to so many. We are utterly heartbroken but he will live on in our hearts as we cherish the incredibly special memories he’s left us with.”

Oliver’s family said: “Yesterday, we lost a dearly loved son, cousin, nephew and friend. Oliver will continue to live on in our hearts and memories as the kind, generous, hardworking and fun man he had become. We will miss him every day for the rest of our lives, we are heartbroken.”

In a statement yesterday, the police said: “We were called to an incident involving a light aircraft at a rural location in Thorganby, Selby at around 9.50am today.

“A two-seater light aeroplane with two occupants had crashed in a field. Sadly, two men in their 20s believed to be the pilot and passenger have been pronounced dead...No further injuries have been reported.”

The force said they are currently working with the Air Accident Investigation Branch to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident. The incident forced some road closures in the area while emergency services attended the scene.