Renowned construction engineer killed in 1966 air crash

WILLIE Logan, one of Scotland's most renowned public works contractors, was killed when the private charter aircraft in which he was a passenger crashed into a hill shortly before it was due to land at Inverness.

Born in Muir of Ord, he was involved in civil engineering projects such as building the Tay Road Bridge and also founded Loganair in 1962 when he bought an Edinburgh-based, one pilot, one aircraft air taxi business to enable easier travelling to projects around Scotland.

On the evening of Friday, January 22, he telephoned Loganair Operations requesting an aircraft to fly him from Edinburgh to Inverness Airport but when told no suitable aircraft was available, he said he would return home by the evening train.

However, he subsequently called an unapproved air taxi company, Strathallan Air Services, to fly him to Inverness in its Aztec Aircraft.

But five miles west of the airport at Dalcross, the plane crashed into Craig Dunain, which was shrouded in dense mist, and Mr Logan was killed. The pilot, Captain Peter Tunstall, sustained a broken arm and minor injuries.

The alarm was raised by Dalcross and a helicopter was dispatched from Lossiemouth Naval Air Station while the emergency services in Inverness also began a search, discovering the wreckage and Mr Logan's body at daybreak.

Do you want to respond to this article? If so, click here to submit your thoughts and they may be published in print.