Wing-walking plane crashes into sea at Bournemouth Air Festival as all flights are suspended
Moment terrified wing walker and pilot scream for help from a sinking plane as it crashed into sea at Bournemouth Air Festival after engine failure as witnesses praise ‘hero’ for landing safely amid 100 boats
Two passengers received treatment for injuries after plane ‘crashes into sea’Shocked eyewitnesses admitted it was a ‘miracle’ no-one was seriously hurt Wing-walking stunt had been taking part in annual Bournemouth Air Festival But all flights are currently suspended in area following the shocking incident
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Shocking footage shows the moment a terrified wing walker and pilot screamed for help after they had to ditch their failing aircraft into water during Bournemouth Air Festival.
All flights were temporarily grounded in the area following the incident, which saw the light aircraft crash near the Chain Ferry at Sandbanks, Poole at around 4pm on Saturday afternoon.
Thousands of people attending the family-friendly annual event, which has now been suspended, watched on in stunned silence as the aero acrobatics display duo slammed into the sea.
Shocked eyewitnesses admitted it was ‘a miracle’ no-one was seriously hurt after seeing two AeroSuperBatics planes safely take off but just one of them land, as the other plummeted into Poole Bay.
A young female wingwalker is understood to have been strapped atop the plane when it landed in the water before flipping upside down – with both the pilot and acrobat left suspended underwater.
In dramatic footage shared online, the woman and pilot desperately scream for help as they float in the water next to their rapidly sinking aircraft.
One man watching the chaos unfold heaped praise on the ‘hero’ pilot, who was searching for a suitable landing spot along the coastline after suffering engine failure, eventually opting for a marina with hundreds of boats bunched together.
Shocked eyewitnesses admitted it was ‘a miracle’ no-one was seriously hurt after seeing two AeroSuperBatics planes safely take off but just one of them land, as the other plummeted into Poole Bay (pictured)
CCTV near the Chain Ferry at Sandbanks, Poole captured the moment the plane impacted with the water as both pilot and acrobat ‘screamed for help’
A wing-walking plane has crashed into the sea at Bournemouth Air Festival, with two passengers receiving treatment for their injuries. [File image]
Emergency services dashed to the scene in Sandbanks (above) to assist with recovery and treat the two passengers who were involved in the stunt
Emergency services have since set up a safety cordon after dashing to the scene to assist with recovery and treat the two passengers who were involved in the stunt.
It is understood that there were no serious injuries as a result of the crash, although this has yet to be reported by the emergency services.
The biplane reportedly sank within 30 seconds, but rubber dinghies got to it in time to pull the two crew members to safety.
Jason Hall, 40, a builder from Hamworthy, was on a yacht yards from where the Tiger Moth plane ditched into the sea.
‘The pilot is a hero. You could see he was hugging the coastline looking for somewhere to ditch the plane safely.
‘There must have been 100 boats tightly packed together and he dropped it into a space the size of a tennis court.
‘I thought he was going to hit the side of our yacht before he manoeuvred at the last second.
‘The winglady was already in the plane when they entered the water as she would never have survived the impact of the plane flipping over.
‘I would say the plane was 50ft above us when it dropped. There were dinghies on the scene within seconds and the crew managed to get themselves out of the cockpit.
‘They were pulled into a dinghy. It’s a miracle no one was killed.’
Rescuer Libby Chambersy, 43, a housewife from Wareham, was on a dinghy 20ft from where the plane crashed into the water.
She and her husband Alan rushed towards the wreckage where the pilot, described as a man in his 50s, exited the cockpit.
The pilot then extricated the wing walker, a woman in her 20s, who was ‘screaming with shock’.
They helped them on to their small dinghy before they were transferred onto a larger RIB and taken to the nearby pontoon for medical assistance.
Ms Chambers said: ‘We were in the smallest dinghy there and the plane hit the water 20ft from us.
‘The pilot was amazing. I’m not sure how he managed to avoid the rocks and other boats. It would have been horrific otherwise.
‘We got to the wreckage within seconds and the pilot had got himself and extricated the winglady from their cockpit.
‘We lifted them onto the dinghy. She was screaming in shock but he was so calm and composed, although you could tell he was also shaken up.
‘He was hugging his winglady. I think she must have been in her 20s and he was maybe in his 50s.
‘There was no room in our dinghy with us and our children so they were moved onto a larger RIB and taken to the pontoon.
‘The plane sank within a minute. It’s an absolute miracle that no one was hurt.’
Natasha Manley, general manager of the Haven Hotel, whose outdoor terrace area is next to the crash site, said: ‘Honestly, it was a miracle no-one was hurt.
‘The plane came down just outside our terrace, on the water among loads of boats. But none of them were hit.
‘A dinghy went out to the plane and got the people out.
‘This boat was just right there. Everyone is OK, it was mad.’
John Thacker, from Birmingham, who was watching the air show action from onboard a boat, said: ‘We were just coming into Poole Harbour and the aircraft was coming in low.
‘When its wheels hit the water it flipped over. The plane sank really quickly, and it was gone within 30 seconds.
‘There was no sign of it at all.
‘We couldn’t get close to it as our draft was too large, but some rubber dinghies got to it in 15 to 20 seconds since it crashed.
‘Then the RNLI lifeboat appeared four to five minutes later.’
The biplane reportedly sank within 30 seconds, but rubber dinghies got to it in time to pull the two crew members to safety
The two AeroSuperBatics bi-planes are pictured in the air before one of them ditched in the sea
A police statement read: ‘The aircraft was part of the Bournemouth Air Festival flight schedule with two people reported to be onboard.
‘Both occupants have been rescued and are reported to have sustained minor injuries. They are receiving treatment by the ambulance service.
‘An investigation is under way and we would please ask members of the public to avoid the area and harbour to allow emergency services to deal with the incident. A police cordon is currently in place.’
Thousands of people in attendance ‘watched on in horror’ as the plane plunged into the sea, according to eyewitnesses. Pictured: Emergency services set up a cordon near the crash site
A statement from Bournemouth Air Festival on Saturday said: ‘There has been an incident involving one of the displays away from the display area.
‘The crew are safe and sound and are being looked after by the emergency services. As a result flying has been suspended until further notice. We will update you early this evening.’
A later update read: ‘Flying has been suspended for this evening. It is our intention to have a display programme reinstated for tomorrow.
‘The festival site remains open and all ground-based activities continue with the Birds of Prey, Beat Retreat, trading, Sing-a-long Grease and the fireworks.’
Police boats, HM Coastguard and the Royal National Lifeboat Institute (RNLI) are reportedly at the scene.
A spokesperson for Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service said: ‘At 3.52pm this afternoon, through the joint command structure in place for the Bournemouth Air Festival, we were made aware of a light aircraft crash near Sandbanks.
‘Firefighters from Poole and Westbourne attended this incident alongside our Technical Rescue team from Poole.
‘When fire crews arrived the two passengers of the plane were out of the aircraft and receiving treatment.’
Bournemouth Air Festival is described as the UK’s largest annual air show, with hundreds of thousands of guests expected to attend this year.
