MARCH Rotary Club has paid tribute to the March dentist killed in a light aircraft crash in Italy. Kevin Young, 54, a member of the town s rotary club, died instantly with John Ritchie, 81, Vittorio Rossetti the Italian pilot and his wife Marinella. Mr Yo

MARCH Rotary Club has paid tribute to the March dentist killed in a light aircraft crash in Italy.

Kevin Young, 54, a member of the town's rotary club, died instantly with John Ritchie, 81, Vittorio Rossetti the Italian pilot and his wife Marinella.

Mr Young had been taking part in a regattas organised by a fellowship of flying Rotarians when the plane plunged into a ravine.

Donald Roberts, secretary of March Rotary Club, said: "Kevin Young, a practising Dentist, was a keen member of the Rotary Club of March and an equally keen participant in Rotary Flying circles.

"He leaves a wife, Belinda and two young children, Elisha and Dominic, to whom we extend our very sincere condolences.

"Kevin was a friendly and cheerful personality who will be sorely missed, not only in Rotary but also by the wider community."

The accident happened near the town of Rovereto, in the Veneto area of the country, this afternoon (Monday)..

Mr Richie, the other British occupant of the Tampico single engine plane, was from Letchworth, in Hertfordshire.

All the occupants are believed to have been Rotarians, taking part in a conference in Venice over the weekend, which involved a flight on Sunday to visit an aeronautical museum in Trento.

Initial reports said the plane crashed in dense forest before rolling for some distance and catching fire, it was reported.

Witnesses quoted in the Italian press said they saw the plane flying very low before dropping suddenly to the ground at around 4.30pm on Sunday.

Weather conditions were said to be fine and a police spokesman said it was believed that the aircraft had suffered engine failure.

Experts from Italy's Civil Aviation Authority are now examining the wreckage of the plane.