A Spitfire was forced to make an emergency accident in a field a few days before Day.
The historic plane – which had two people on board – left the sky before crashing among the cultures of West Hythe, Kent on Saturday evening (May 3).
The craftsmanship took place in the accounting of celebrations to mark the 80th anniversary of Ve Day on Monday, but it is not clear if the flight of the plane was linked to the event.
Witnesses said that the plane “missed above a caravan park” and that “closely” lacked trees before it crashes, while video sequences show the plane to the ground.
What we know
The plane belongs to Fly a Spitfire, confirmed the accident in a statement on its website, saying: “We are aware of an incident involving one of our Spitfire planes.
“We can confirm that a precautionary landing was carried out on a site without theft. The pilot and the passenger are not injured and at this stage, we have no more information.”
A firefighter spokesman said two fire trucks had participated after being called on a plane that had an emergency landing. The crews helped make the scene safe and a person was transmitted to paramedical care, the spokesman said.
A video of the consequences of the accident shows the plane of the Second World War – which belongs to Spitfire Experience Company Fly a Spitfire – seated in a mustard field after having been landing on Saturday evening. (Swns)
Eyewitness Sharon Gooda, 59, who was at the Daleacres Caravan and Motorhome Club when the drama took place, said: “We heard the roar of a Spitfire, so I stood outside the caravan and I looked at the two places when he stole and I returned again.
“He took a surface above the caravan park, but I returned inside and I was able to hear them. But all of a sudden, there was a very low and noisy erroneous sound above our heads.”
She added: “It looked like the completely cut engine. He was lucky that he missed the big coniferous trees because he was not far from touching them. It could have been much worse.
“He could have landed in Caravan park – he was very close to the caravans when he started to miss and landed about 100 meters away.”
The Directorate of the Air Accident Survey (AAIB) said that it had been informed of the incident, and although it did not send a team on the accident site, will undertake an investigation with the operator to understand the cause of loss of power.
What we don't know
He does not know exactly what happened to lead to emergency landing. While eyewitnesses have reported the sound of an aircraft failure, the company which owns it published only a press release confirming the “precautionary landing” and that the pilot and the passenger are not injured.
He also does not know if the flight made by the Spitfire was linked to future celebrations of the Ve Day or unrelated.
Among the efforts to mark the day of the VE, more than 20 planes will participate in a flypast on Buckingham Palace, including the Bombardiers de Lancaster, the Second World War, the Red Arrows.
Some reports have suggested that the Spitfire involved in landing practiced for a flypast, but that was not confirmed.
He also did not know who drives the plane and who was the passenger.
No one was injured in the accident. (Swns)
