Microlight plane crashes in Foston couple's garden
A pilot and his passenger escaped serious injury when their two-seater plane crashed into gardens in Foston, near Grantham, on Saturday.
The two-seater microlight had taken off from Foston Airfield just moments before it plummeted to the ground.
The nose of the plane and its propeller landed in Paul and Christina Lees’ garden, in Main Street, Foston.
Christina, who is also the chairman of the Parish Council, is still in shock.
She said: “My husband was watching the plane and saw it all unfold. As soon as it crashed, he phoned 999 and the police and fire service arrived quickly on the scene.
“There was lots of people milling around the street afterwards.
“I think everyone was in a bit of shock. We are just lucky that no one was killed or injured.”
Christina has called an emergency parish council meeting tonight (Friday) to address concerns from the public and discuss what will happen next.
She added: “We’ve organised the meeting as it is an extraordinary situation.
“Many people in the village are very concerned about whether something like this could happen again.”
Liz Sordy, also lives on Main Street, and was watching the plane moments before it crashed.
She said: “I saw the plane and noticed that the engine looked like it was stuttering. It then started heading straight towards my neighbour’s garden and I just heard a tremendous bang.
“The pilot did well to avoid the house and crash into the hedge instead.”
Despite the near miss, Liz believes it could have been a lot worse.
Her husband Steve, added: “It could have so easily been a tremendous catastrophe. What if the fuel tank exploded or if children had been playing in any of the gardens when it crashed. We have all been extremely lucky.”
The emergency services, including the police and East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) rushed to the scene on Saturday afternoon.
A spokesman from Lincolnshire Police said: “Incident 196 of 18 was reported to us at about 1pm.
“Police, fire and ambulance services attended an address on Main Street, Foston, Grantham where a light aircraft/micro light had crashed. There were no serious injuries to the two occupants, both men, and the incident has been reported to the Air Accident Investigation Branch. The aircraft had taken off from Foston airfield immediately prior to the crash.”
An EMAS spokesman added: “We received a call from Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue to attend an incident involving a light air craft in Foston. We sent an operational manager to the scene. Two patients were assessed and made their own way to hospital.”
