An inquest opened on 19 August 2026 in Caernarfon into the deaths of Sheetal Swali and Ketan Swali, a married couple from Syston, Leicester, who were killed when a light aircraft they were travelling in crashed near Trawsfynydd, Gwynedd. Both were pronounced dead at the scene, and a Home Office pathologist has given a provisional cause of death as major impact trauma.
The couple had set off from Tatenhill Airport near Burton-upon-Trent and were due to land at Caernarfon Airport when contact with their aircraft was lost. Police were alerted shortly after 12:00 BST on the Friday when the flight failed to arrive as scheduled, triggering air and ground searches that eventually located the wreckage in a remote part of Gwynedd.
What kind of aircraft was involved?
Assistant coroner Sarah Riley told the hearing that the couple had hired a Piper PA28 from Sherwood flying club for the journey. Separate later reporting, however, has described the aircraft as a Piper Warrior hired from a flying club based in Staffordshire, according to the Daily Mail. Both accounts agree the couple were flying from Tatenhill toward Caernarfon Airport when the aircraft came down.
How did the search unfold before the wreckage was found?
The coastguard first alerted North Wales Police to reports of a possible aircraft collision, prompting a multi-agency search after the plane failed to arrive at Caernarfon Airport as scheduled, according to a national broadcaster's report. That search ultimately led to the discovery of the aircraft at a remote site near Trawsfynydd.
What did the inquest establish about the couple and the cause of death?
The coroner told the hearing that Home Office pathologist Dr Brian Rogers had recorded a provisional cause of death for both victims as 1A major impact trauma. The inquest was told the couple were in their 50s, though subsequent regional reporting has put their specific ages at 59 and 55 respectively, according to Wales Online. Members of the family joined proceedings in Caernarfon via video link, and the coroner extended her deepest condolences to them.
Has a similar crash happened at this airport before?
This is not the first fatal light aircraft accident linked to Caernarfon Airport. A previous fatal crash there in 2017 was also investigated by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch and was ultimately ruled accidental, according to a national broadcaster's earlier coverage. Light aircraft accidents involving small clubs and hired planes have also occurred elsewhere in the UK this year, including a fatal crash near High Ongar in Essex after departure from North Weald Airfield, and a fatal crash near Dunkeswell Aerodrome in East Devon.
What happens next?
The inquest has been adjourned while the Air Accidents Investigation Branch continues its inquiry into the cause of the crash. Proceedings are expected to remain paused until that investigation concludes, according to the Daily Mail.
- Sheetal Swali and Ketan Swali, from Syston, Leicester, died when their light aircraft crashed near Trawsfynydd, Gwynedd.
- The pair were flying a Piper PA28 (also reported as a Piper Warrior) from Tatenhill Airport to Caernarfon Airport.
- A Home Office pathologist gave a provisional cause of death of major impact trauma for both victims.
- The inquest, opened on 19 August 2026, has been adjourned pending the Air Accidents Investigation Branch's findings.
