By Isle of Wight Observer
A plane taking off from Bembridge Airport this afternoon was forced to turn back when its engine exploded.
The 2-seater plane with a pilot and co-pilot aboard has been totally burnt out – but thankfully there were no serious injuries. Two holiday makers at Whitecliff Bay heroically pulled the two occupants from the wreckage risking their own lives in the process.
As the plane turned around to return to Bembridge after the dramatic explosion it clipped the chimney of a nearby house, and narrowly missed an occupied caravan and chalets on the Whitecliff Bay holiday park. Air crash investigators are en-route to the scene with a police cordon remaining in place to ensure that nobody can interfere with the debris or the scene of the incident.
One member of staff at the site said: “I was terrified by the huge explosion, but the need to ensure that everybody was safe just kicked in. As I rushed to the scene of the accident I saw some of our brave holiday makers take action to ensure the pilot and passenger were safe. This will be a holiday they surely won’t forget in a hurry!”
Police Inspector Alex Dale told the IW Observer that the incident was a very near miss and it could have been a tragedy. He praised the by-standers for their brave and prompt action in rescuing the occupants of the plane shortly before it burst into flames, adding that they had undoubtedly saved lives. The call to the police for assistance was placed at just at around 2.23pm this afternoon. Police, ambulance and the fire service attended the incident.
Hillway Road was closed for a time but has now been reopened.
The police have asked any witnesses to come forward, using reference number 44250160063.
