Glasgow - Eight people were killed, mostly crew members from a holiday airline, when a light aircraft crashed near Glasgow airport yesterday.
Three people on board the 11-seater Cessna aircraft were also injured after it came down in fields near Paisley after taking off for Aberdeen.
The British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, on a visit to Scotland, spoke of "an appalling tragedy" and sent his deepest sympathy to the bereaved.
The twin-engine Cessna crashed at around 12.37 p.m. and is believed to have split into three.
The nine passengers on board comprised two pilots and seven cabin crew of Manchester-based holiday airline Airtours International. They were flying to Aberdeen to crew a Boeing 757.
It is understood that of the three people who survived, one was an Airtours pilot and the other two were Airtours cabin crew. Both the Cessna pilots were killed.
Mr Blair said: "Deepest sympathy goes to the families and relatives and friends of those who have lost their lives.
"I am sure there will be a full inquiry into the incident but for now our deepest sympathy goes to the families and the relatives."