Thursday, June 26, 2014

Golfers shocked as plane crashes

Golfers watched in horror as a light aircraft crash landed in a field close to the Lancaster course they were playing on.

Chairman of the green at Lansil Golf Course, Jim Dixon, was first on the scene after the two-seater plane came down in a wheat field after its engine cut out.

A father and his experienced pilot daughter were on board the plane, which toppled over when it hit the long grass in the field.

The man, in his sixties, was airlifted to the Royal Preston Hospital after help from fire and ambulance crews, but did not suffer any injuries.

His daughter was also taken to hospital, suffering from a broken thumb.

Mr Dixon, who works at the course part-time, was relaxing and admiring the view from the green at around 2.30pm on Sunday when he saw the aircraft flying overhead.

He said: “I heard the plane going over and I thought ‘That sounded rough’.

“I thought it was going to come down on the golf course so I got up to follow where it was going and then I heard it come down.

“I went over as fast as I could to get to it.

“I do have my first aid at work but when I got to the scene I could see there wasn’t much I could do.

“The daughter was complaining about hurting her arm but her father seemed to be in a bad way.

“He had managed to get out of the aircraft and then collapsed.

“He appeared semi-unconscious.

“The daughter was trying to get in touch with the ambulance but she didn’t know whereabouts she was so I helped her with that.

“I went back to the course and asked if anybody medical was around and I located a nurse who came out to help.

“I then made sure the gates were open so that there was access for the ambulance.

“When the paramedics arrived I got out of the way to let them get on with it.”

Eye witness Chris Mayne, from Lancaster, said: “I was walking on the aquaduct with the kids and it caught my eye.

“It wasn’t making a sound but traveling quite fast towards the ground.

“I didn’t see it go down. The last I saw of it, it was disappearing by Lansil golf course.

“I was walking the opposite way and when I came back the air ambulance was out.”

The pair flew from Northern Microlights airfield in St Michael’s on Wyre and were from a Blackburn flying school.

A spokesman for the airfield said: “The plane had suffered power failure and the female pilot, an experienced pilot, had taken control of the plane and glided it down.

“The plane landed in long grass, which caused it to topple over.”

An Air Accidents Investigation Branch spokesman said: “The AAIB is aware of the incident and is investigating by correspondence.”

Source: http://www.lancasterguardian.co.uk

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