Pilot crawls out from wreckage alive after plane crashes on beach

The pilot of a plane that crashed ‘nose first’ into a beach of an English seaside town was seen crawling to safety after it flipped over.

The light aircraft was seen by onlookers as it struck the water ‘without warning’ at around 4pm yesterday in Lee-on-the-Solent, Hampshire.

The pilot, a man in his 50s from West Sussex, ‘got out okay’ and even the plane seemed largely undamaged, according to bystanders.

Local Ellie Chapman, 19, witnessed the crash as she was out shopping with her parents and ‘saw the pilot crawl out into the water’.

She said: ‘I was by the beach looking at the free books when I heard a loud crashing sound from the rocks.

‘When I turned around, the plane was already in the water, with the tail briefly lifted before it dropped down, suggesting it had gone in nose first. There was no noise from the aircraft beforehand, so the crash came without warning.’

‘I saw the pilot crawl out into the water, and people helped him onto the rocks. Everyone looked stunned, some rushed over to help while others stood in shock, myself included.’

Councillor Graham Burgess, who lives in Lee-on-the-Solent, said: ‘I’m aware that a plane crashed just a few feet from the shingle on the waterfront.

‘I understand and am very grateful to hear that the pilot got out okay. The pictures are very shocking. It only appears to be a small light plane, and I’m not sure what airfield the plane was attempting to get to.’

Another councillor, Stevyn Ricketts, said: ‘I was out in my ward of Leon Solent today and could hear all the emergency sirens going off across the town.

‘I headed to the seafront and saw the damage. Luckily, the pilot got out unscathed and enjoyed a nice cup of coffee while the emergency services dealt with the incident.’

He added: ‘Eyewitnesses told me that the plane was coming down very low before it crashed. Police put a cordon in place, and Hampshire fire winched the plane up the beach.’

A spokesperson for Hampshire and Isle of Wight police said: ‘We were called at 4.15pm to a report of a light aircraft in the sea, close to the shoreline by Lee-on-Solent Sailing Club, Marine Parade East.

‘We attended the scene, along with our emergency service partners. Thankfully, the pilot, a man in his 50s from West Sussex and the only occupant of the aircraft, reported only minor injuries.’

They were joined by a spokesperson for the Fire and Rescue Service, who said: ‘Crews from Hightown, Fareham and Cosham attended. The pilot had exited the plane before our arrival, and firefighters worked to secure the aircraft and winch it from the sea.

‘The pilot was assessed by the ambulance service, and the scene was handed over to our colleagues at Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary to maintain security of the aircraft until it can be recovered.’

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