Tributes to Andover plane crash victims

22 April 2010, 16:23 | Updated: 22 April 2010, 16:51

The family of two men killed in a plane crash in Andover at the weekend have paid tribute to them.

55 year old Shorland Hosking and Richard Wheeler, aged 50, were both from Dorset. They were travelling in a light aircraft which came down in a field near Andover on Saturday April 17th. The pair had taken off from Bournemouth and were coming from Duxford in Cambridgeshire when their plane got into difficulty near the A303 in Monxton, Hampshire.

Mr Hosking was a Consultant Surgeon at Poole Hospital and leaves behind a wife and two children. They described him as a "competent pilot" with a "passion for flying". His family said the "tragic accident" had left them "devastated". They added, "as a committed Christian and follower of Jesus, the family takes comfort knowing that death is not the end."

Richard Wheeler was a father of three and a Managing Director. He founded Space Industries, which released a tribute on its website which said, "Richard had a love of life, had many hobbies ranging from cycling and boating to all things related to aviation
and was a devoted husband to Pauline and father to his three children."

Police and Air Accident Investigators have launched an investigation into why the plane crashed. They have confirmed they are looking at whether volcanic ash was a factor, although they believe that to be unlikely.