Isle of Wight plane crash eyewitness saw it become fireball

Terry Sloane, his wife and their two young grandchildren, were on holiday at Whitecliff Bay Holiday Park, Bembridge, when the incident occurred at around 2pm yesterday (Saturday).

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The aircraft appeared to lose power, hit a chimney and careered into a hedge as it spun.

The crashed plane with its occupants exiting moments later, with fuel pouring down the road. (Image: Terry Sloane) The elderly pilot, in his 70s, and co-pilot, managed to get out of the wrecked plane unharmed, just before it became a fireball.

Terry, from Camberley, Surrey, was one of the first to hear the shocking incident and see the aftermath.

He said: "The plane was very slow to climb out of the airport. It got into a headwind, but I didn't think any more of it.

The burned out cockpit and fuselage of the crashed aircraft (Image: County Press) "Then I saw it coming in on a very low glide path towards us, and I thought, he's not going to make it.

"At this point, the prop was turning, but didn't seem to have any power.

Read more: Heroes to the rescue as plane crashes into Isle of Wight holiday park

"It then clipped the building and turned — spinning through 180 degrees and reversed into the hedge as it crashed.

"It was loud. You could hear the props scraping.

"When it came to rest, the two exited. They were pretty unflustered.

(Image: Isle of Wight County Press) "I would imagine they were pretty shaky later on, but they popped the canopy pretty quickly and got out. I was amazed.

"A woman went to the aircraft, but by that time they were getting out unaided."

Terry described the terrifying moment the plane exploded.

"Then there was some activity, with people coming out with fire extinguishers. I could see the fire starting," Terry said.

The burned out wreckage (Image: County Press) "You could see the fuel running down the path some way, then it caught fire.

"The flames tracked down the fuel as a golf cart came up the hill.

"As the flames came towards him, he slammed it in reverse. The buggy was about six feet in front of the flame, while he was going backwards.

The woman who helped suffered minor burns.

"She lost an eyebrow and burned her thumb," Terry said.

"Things could have been so much worse."