Plane flips over in drama at Wolverhampton airport

Emergency crews were called to the crash at Wolverhampton Halfpenny Green Airport, Bobbington, at noon on Saturday.

The pilot, thought to be in his 60s, suffered minor injuries and the plane – a Cassutt Racer – was only slightly damaged.

Flight information service officer at the airport Tony Rowlands said the crash had been as a result of partial engine failure.

He said despite having worked at the Bobbington airport for eight years, he has never seen a crash there like this one.

"The plane involved took off from our airport to fly locally," said Mr Rowlands, who has worked in flight information services for 30 years.

"It suffered partial engine failure and failed to reach the runway when it was coming back in. It landed just short of the runway in a nearby field.

"I've worked here for eight years and that's the first accident of that nature I've ever seen. It was very unusual.

"The plane is substantially OK, although it did turn over. Luckily, the pilot only had minor injuries.

"The plane itself is a very unusual one. It's called a Cassutt Racer and is a single-seater built for racing purposes – although the pilot clearly wasn't racing it at the time of the crash.

The aircraft, which is based at Bobbington, crashed at around noon on Saturday.

Communications officer for the West Midlands Ambulance Service, Chris Kowalik, said crews were called to the scene on Saturday at just after 11.50am.

"Crews arrived to find the single-seater light aircraft upside down in a ploughed field not far from the airport runway," said Mr Kowalik.

"Fire crews at the scene righted the aircraft and the pilot, a man in his sixties, got out. He was assessed at the scene and found to have just minor injuries. He was discharged at the scene."