A probe has been opened into a light airplane crash in east London which left a man fighting for his life with serious injuries.
The man was said to be “lucky to be alive” by witnesses after the plane came down near Damyns Hall Aerodrome in Upminster on Tuesday.
The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) confirmed its investigators have been dispatched to the site in a bid to uncover the cause of the crash.
A spokesperson said: “An accident involving a light aircraft near Damyns Hall Aerodrome, Essex, was reported to the AAIB yesterday afternoon and we have deployed a team to the site to investigate.”
Firefighters worked for more than an hour to cut the man and a woman out of the aircraft. The woman was taken to hospital but is not thought to be as seriously injured.
Officers said the man had “life-changing or life-threatening injuries”.
Speaking on Tuesday, a pilot told the Standard: “I was flying myself at the time. Someone else flying overhead saw them go down into trees and bushes next to a fishing pond. That’s why they are still alive - it’s lucky.
“The fire brigade were there in five minutes. I didn’t know them or know if they were a couple. But I think it was their own aircraft.”
A caterer working nearby added: “I see planes take-off and land there all the time. To hear of a plane crash is so rare. You have to think of it compared to like car crashes they are more frequent.”
London Fire Brigade Station Commander Jeremy Davies said 40 firefighters worked for over an hour to free the pair by 1.40pm.
