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Lucky escape as light aircraft crashes

23/ 7/2008

THERE was chaos at the City of Manchester Airport after a plane carrying an instructor and his student crashed.

The fire service was called to the former Barton Aerodrome just before midday, after a light aircraft, from Ravenair training School, crashed close to the runway.

The passenger emerged from the plane a little shaken while fire services had to cut the pilot free before he was air-lifted to hospital.

Eye-witness Kenneth Sullivan, 61, who lives on Proctor Way, only a few hundred yards from the airport, said: “We were sat in the garden when it happened.

“He was coming into land and all of sudden the engine went quiet and then there was a big back fire from the plane followed by a loud bump as the plane hit the ground. It sounded like the engine cut out or something and straight away we knew the plane had crashed.

“Within seconds, the alarms at the airport went off.”

Operations manager at Ravenair Steve Barker said: "I can confirm that we did have an incident today at Barton. The air craft came down off the runway.

"The student in the plane was taken to Trafford General Hospital for checks, while the pilot was air lifted to Wythenshawe Hospital as a precaution due to back injuries. However, I have spoken to him and he is in very good spirits."

The airport was closed for a few hours but is now fully operational.