Stunt pilot ‘ejected from plane moments before it smashed into block of flats’
A pilot is in hospital after ‘ejecting from a small plane moments before it smashed into a block of flats’.
The stunt aircraft crumpled on impact after it struck a building in Oxfordshire earlier today.
Emergency services raced to the scene shortly after noon, Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service said.
Further injuries were avoided because the residential building was unoccupied at the time.
An eye witness said they saw the pilot bail out before the aircraft smashed into the wall.
George Parker, who lives just a few hundred yards from the crash scene at the former United States Air Force base, said: ‘I was amazed to see the parachute and then realised that the plane was coming down at a 45 degree angle and was going to crash.
‘I saw the pilot come down in a nearby field as the plane smashed into a block of new build flats. Fortunately no-one has yet moved into them.’
The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) said it has launched an investigation and inspectors have begun searches at the scene.
A spokesperson said: ‘An accident in Upper Heyford, Oxfordshire, involving a light aircraft has been notified to the AAIB.
‘An investigation has been launched into the accident and a team of inspectors are at the accident site gathering evidence.’
It happened in Upper Heyford, near Bicester, at around 12.18pm on Saturday, according to Thames Valley Police.
Fire fighters from five different stations had to be deployed to the response.
A spokesperson for the fire brigade confirmed one person was taken to hospital
Residents who witnessed the shock crash are being asked to come forward, especially if they have footage.
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