Perthshire plane crash wreckage removed by helicopter
The wreckage of a light aircraft has been removed from the Perthshire hillside where it crashed at the weekend.
Two men - Andrew Thompson, 37, and 53-year-old John MacKinnon - died when the plane came down near the village of Abernyte on Sunday.
It had left Inverness airport and had been due at Dundee airport but lost contact about four miles away.
Police Scotland confirmed that the wreckage had been lifted by helicopter.
It will be taken to Farnborough in Hampshire by lorry for further examination by experts from the Air Accidents Investigation Branch.
Police Scotland's local area commander Ch Insp Mike Whitford said: "Firstly, I would like to express my sympathies on behalf of all the officers involved. We must remember that this is a particularly difficult time for the families of the two men.
"Police Scotland has been working closely with AAIB personnel on-site, in particularly challenging conditions, since the crash on Sunday afternoon, ensuring that there is a full investigation into the circumstances."
On Sunday, a large ground and air search was launched for the plane, involving police, coastguard teams, the RNLI and the RAF.
Weather was poor at the time the aircraft went missing, with heavy rain, fog and wind gusts of up to 35mph (56kmh).
Rescuers discovered the wreckage about four hours later, some 10 miles (16km) west of Dundee Airport.
Joint investigations to establish the full circumstances of the crash are continuing, although continuing poor weather has hampered work at the scene.