Banbury Guardian
”A LIGHT aircraft carrying two people has crashed near Hornton this afternoon (Tuesday).
The Cirrus SR20 plane – of which the pilot and passenger are believed to be from Dublin – came down at about 3.45pm close to West End in the village. Neither person was injured.
The aircraft – which deployed its own parachute to slow its descent -clipped the branch of a tree as it landed.
The parachute also came into contact with a power line cutting off supply in the village for about ten minutes.
Eye-witness Steve Whitby was in his garden when the incident unfolded.
“My wife and I were gardening when we heard what we thought was an explosion,” he said.
“I had seen a plane in the area and immediately thought the worst. I looked up and saw it spinning round and round and round. It was a light aircraft which had deployed a parachute behind it.
“I ran inside because I thought it was going to be a disaster and then ran down to the bottom of the village where it had come down. There were lots of other villagers gathering but the two guys in the plane were fine, they didn’t have a scratch on them, which is quite remarkable.
“It hit power lines on the way down and wiped out the electricity in the village. It also crashed into the bow of a tree – I think if it had hit a big branch or the trunk there could have been an explosion.
“I’ve never seen a plane suspended from a parachute like that, it was quite strange. There was no control at all.
“I think the only real danger was from aviation fuel leaking out but it seems to be okay now.
Sign In
