- .Emergency services called to house in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire at 10.45am
- .Pilot managed to deploy parachute shortly before the crash
- .The light aircraft is believed to be worth around £500,000
By TARA BRADY
A pilot has miraculously walked away with just minor injuries after deploying an emergency parachute which allowed his plane to float to safety and land in the back garden of a house.
The plane landed in Mike and Karen Dean's back garden in Langdale Road, Hatherley, in Cheltenham, at 10.45am this morning.
Luckily the pilot, a 76-year-old man from London, managed to deploy the parachute shortly before the crash.
Miracle: The pilot managed to release a parachute in time which allowed his plane to float to safety
Aftermath: The parachute can be seen in the back garden of the house in Cheltenham
Wreckage: The single engine crashed into this back garden in Cheltenham this morning
Lucky escape: The plane landed in a back garden belonging to Karen Dean and her husband Mike
The pilot escaped with only minor injuries and was treated at the scene by paramedics.
Mr Dean, 55, and wife, 50, were in their house where the crash happened.
Mrs Dean, a project manager for Boots said: 'All I heard was a big bang. I was in the house at the time and I managed to get downstairs.
'I feel very lucky that it didn't go through my house. I was in the house at the time but I didn't see anything, I just heard a whirring sound.
'I'm quite in a bit of shock at the moment, you never think these things are going to happen to you.
'They have to work out how to get the plane out. I'm working from home today so I'm hoping to get back into the house a little bit later.'
David Shatford, 23, a construction worker, was working on the house at the time and pulled the pilot to safety.
The light aircraft deployed this parachute which allowed the plane to float to safety
The owners of this house had a lucky escape when the light plane plummetted into their back garden
Destruction: The remains of the plane which descended into shrubbery in Karen and Mike Dean's back garden
Drama: Film crews gather in Mike and Karen Dean's back garden where a light aircraft landed this morning
Crash: Emergency services inspect the scene where a plane crashed this morning in Gloucestershire
He said: 'I saw the plane come down spinning over and then it crashed into the trees and I jumped off the scaffolding and managed to get the pilot out.
'He didn't say anything because he was very shaken. I was very scared at the time but managed to get him to safety.'
Danella Mercati, 37, of Warden Hill Road said: 'I was hanging up my washing at the time and I could hear the plane in the distance and suddenly it sounded like the plane exhaust had gone and it was blowing really loudly.
'As I looked up, I could see the plane release its parachute. It was coming directly to my garden but then the parachute dragged it away and it crashed in the next road.
'I thought it was going to crash into my garden, I was petrified. My heart still hasn't stopped racing.'
A Gloucestershire Police spokesman said: 'The emergency services were called to a report of a plane coming down in the back garden of a house in Langdale Road in Cheltenham at approximately 10.45am today.
'The pilot, a 76-year-old man from London, has suffered minor injuries and is currently being treated at the scene by paramedics.
Lucky escape: The pilot was forced to deploy the parachute of the light-aircraft which floated to safety
'The homeowner was uninjured. Nearby houses have been evacuated as a precaution while the fire service make the scene safe.'
THE PARACHUTE: HOW IT WORKS
When the unexpected happens and a pilot is in trouble mid-flight, a BRS (ballistic recovery system) parachute can save lives.
The parachute is attached to the airframe via a harness.
Once deployed, the canopy of the parachute will decelerate and stabilise the aircraft within seconds.
When first activated, the parachute system is designed to pitch up the aircraft.
This allows the system to use the aircraft’s wings and fuselage to help it slow down.
In a very short time, the aircraft stabilises under the now opened canopy.
The aircraft will descend with the nose slightly lower than the tail.
On reaching the ground, the nose wheel generally will touch down first.
The scene of the crash is just 2.5 miles from Gloucestershire Airport, in Staverton, near Cheltenham.
The plane is believed to be worth around £500,000.
Nearby homes were initially going to be evacuated as a precaution by the fire service but the area was deemed safe soon after.
Markus Von Plunkett watched the crash unfold. He said on Facebook: 'Saw it with my own eyes, was a little wierd looked like the plane itself had a canopy.'
Eyewitnesses from a local website directory also saw the plane coming down.
One employee said: 'We saw the plane veer through the clouds in a strange movement, then disappear back into the clouds. We said "Blimey! It looks like that plane is in trouble!"
'A moment later, there was a large bang as the plane pulled its parachute and it disappeared behind the houses, in the direction of Bourneside School playing field.'
Steven Pockett posted online: 'Wonder if the pilot was trying for emergency landing on Bournside playing field, the corner of Langdale Road is only just short of that.
'Was quite surreal watching the parachute come down. Hope the reports of only light injuries are precise.'
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