A plane which crashed near Upminster caused a spur in the area as emergency services flooded the scene – here’s what we know.
Dozens of police, ambulances and fire services were called near to Belhus Country Park on Saturday (September 7) at 1.08pm after reports of a “light aircraft” that crashed.
The Metropolitan Police says it was called to Aveley Road, Upminster, although it’s understood from eyewitnesses the crash site was slightly further down near to the park.
A man, understood to be the pilot, is in not life-threatening, but a potentially life-changing condition.
More details have emerged about where this aircraft came from. Here is what we know so far:
Where did the aircraft come from?
While there’s the Damyns Hall Aerodrome on Aveley Road, the Romford Recorder understands that the Wassmer D120 Paris-Nice aircraft actually had flown from 20.25 miles away.
The plane, with a G-AYGG registration, reportedly flew from Farthing Corner near Sittingbourne, before departing alone for an unknown destination, the Recorder was told.
Timothy Lyons, the director who has operated Damyns Hall Aerodrome for the last 20 years, explained that the aerodrome was not involved with the flight.
He added: “He appears to have lost engine power shortly after take-off and made an emergency landing not far from Damyns Hall, which while severely damaging the aircraft did nor apparently to result in life-threatening injury to the pilot, nor any member of the public. “
Latest on the investigation
The AAIB last officially said yesterday (September 7): “We are aware of the accident. We will be deploying inspectors to the scene.”
But Mr Lyons has claimed: “We have been told that the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB), having attended the scene, do not intend to investigation further as the pilot’s injuries were not life threatening, and separately we agreed with the Police that they may store the remains of the aircraft at Damyns Hall, pending an inspection by the aircraft’s insurers.”
The AAIB was approached for confirmation on this. At the moment, we have had no response and we cannot verify the latest on the investigation.
What happened to the pilot?
The pilot was by himself in the aircraft at the time.
Alex Sarzi-Sartori, who was at the West Essex Bowmen archery club by the park at the time of the crash, feared for a split second that he’d have to run as he saw the plane heading his way.
He described to the Romford Recorder the moment when he saw the plane dropping very low and quietly as the propeller wasn’t moving.
The archer said: “It was going away from us for most of the time and then it started turning around and I realised it was actually aiming for a field to land.”
When he went up close to the crash site, he claims he saw the propeller "swung around" and "pinned" the pilot to his seat.
He was looked after by people at the scene until dozens of emergency service vehicles arrived.
Police have said today that he may have “potentially life-changing injuries”.
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