80-year-old flying instructor who died in Drymen plane crash with 16-year-old boy named

Flying instructor Ian Haggis has been named locally as one of the people who died during the crash on Friday.

An 80-year-old man who died in a light aircraft crash near Loch Lomond alongside a 16-year-old boy has been named locally as Ian Haggis.

The flying instructor was killed after the plane came down north east of Drymen around 4.45pm on Friday.

Police officers on Old Drymen Road near the crash scene | Craig Meighan/Press Association

Tributes were paid to Mr Haggis on social media, with Joseph Thompson, who had planned to fly with him this week, writing: “My good friend and instructor Ian Haggis was killed yesterday in an air accident, my heart goes to his family.

“Shocking, so sad.”

Another said: “Heart breaking. What a legend. Only God knows what happened.”

Ian Haggis at the controls of an aircraft | Joseph Thompson

Mr Haggis was also described as a “gentleman and a very experienced aviator”.

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The Piper Tomahawk II aircraft took off from Glasgow Airport shortly after 4.15pm and stopped transmitting around 20 minutes later.

Officers taped off a gate on Old Drymen Road on Saturday as they investigated the incident.

Following the crash, temporary airspace restrictions, including drones, are in place.

Gavin Birch-Williams, managing director of Glasgow Airport, said: “We are aware of an incident involving a light aircraft that departed from Glasgow Airport.

“This is a deeply tragic event, and the thoughts and heartfelt sympathies from all at Glasgow Airport are with the friends and families affected.”

In a statement, the Air Accidents Investigation Branch said: “An investigation has begun into an accident involving a light aircraft which occurred on October 16 2026.

“A team has travelled to the accident site near Drymen, north of Glasgow, to make inquiries and gather evidence as part of the process of conducting a safety investigation.”