Plane crash victim still in hospital

Katie Farrell and partner Graham Greaves, of Enville, near Stourbridge, fled with friends Alan and Pamela Ratcliffe after their light aircraft plunged to the ground and burst into flames. The Piper PA-32 came to rest just 30m from the edge of a cliff on Alderney after it gouged a 150m path in a field.

Saddle maker Miss Farrell, aged 40, of Enville Common, suffered a broken leg. Mr Greaves, speaking outside their home last night, said she was undergoing a CAT scan on her injured limb at a hospital in Guernsey.

Co-pilot Mr Greaves said he did not want to discuss the couple's ordeal until his partner had been discharged and he had spoken to pilot Mr Ratcliffe, 59, and his wife, 57, of Six Ashes, near Bobbington. However he added: "We hope Kate is going to be ok but she is having a CAT scan on her leg tonight.

"I would rather not say anything until I've spoken to Alan. We all got separated after the crash.

"I've got so much to sort out – we have not got our mobile phones, our passports, even the house keys, we lost them all. But everyone is ok, that is the main thing."

Villagers said Miss Farrell was a "very pleasant girl" who often pops into the shops to run her errands and have a chat. Shopkeepers said that Miss Farrell, who is not believed to have any children, loves horses and advertises her saddle-making skills in the post office.

Mr and Mrs Ratcliffe, Miss Farrell and Mr Greaves escaped as the plane caught fire and was gutted.

It is thought that it stalled trying to avoid a fog bank while landing on Alderney. It was too low for propellers to be restarted.

All were treated in hospital and Miss Farrell was moved to Guernsey with a suspected broken leg.

The others were not badly hurt.

The Civil Aviation Authority has launched an investigation into the cause of the accident which happened shortly after 1pm on Sunday.