Hero praised after saving lives of two men in Shifnal light aircraft crash
An heroic witness came to the rescue after two men were seriously injured when their plane nosedived and crashed just seconds after taking off from an airfield in Shropshire.
The light aircraft ended up upside down and in flames after crashing at Shifnal Airfield, off Shaw Lane, with the pilot and his passenger trapped inside.
It could have been much worse but for a fellow plane enthusiast dubbed a "hero" by emergency services.
He watched in horror as the plane came down nose-first but acted quickly, grabbing a fire extinguisher and putting out the blaze before dragging the passenger from the plane.
The aircraft then caught fire again around the feet of the pilot, with the man putting it out again.
He was unable to drag the pilot out because he was trapped under the plane – but he kept the blaze under control until fire crews arrived to cut the pilot free.
Do you know the Good Samaritan who helped? Was it you? Email newsroom@shropshirestar.co.uk
The pilot, a man in his 60s, who was airlifted to hospital, suffered a dislocated right shoulder, broken arm, broken leg and broken ankle.
The passenger, a man in his 50s, suffered head and neck injuries.
But the fire re-ignited around the feet of the pilot and this was again extinguished. The man was unable to pull the pilot free because he was trapped.
Shaun Baker, incident officer for Shropshire Fire & Rescue Service, said an investigation into the circumstances of the crash would be undertaken by the Civil Aviation Authority.
Police forensic teams also attended the scene to examine the plane for clues.
Mr Baker said crews from Telford Central, Tweedale and Wellington were called to deal with the blaze and free the pilot using cutting equipment.
"A light aircraft, with two people on board, crashed shortly after taking off," he said.
"A fellow aviator and club member witnessed the crash and rescued one of the men from the plane by dragging him out.
"The plane caught fire with the second man still trapped inside it. He managed to get a fire extinguisher and put out the fire. His actions undoubtedly saved their lives – he is a hero."
The crash happened just before 11am yesterday.
Ambulance crews, the Midland Air Ambulance and a senior paramedic in a rapid response vehicle also attended.
West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman Chris Kowalik said: "In addition to calling the ambulance service the man ran towards the burning craft with a fire extinguisher.
"He put out the fire and dragged the passenger out. But the fire re-ignited around the feet of the pilot and this was again extinguished. The man was unable to pull the pilot free because he was trapped.
"In addition to ambulance crews, Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service also attended. The nearest crew was at a school fete nearby, which they had to leave. The pilot, a man in his 60s, was freed by the emergency services and he was the more seriously injured of the two.
"He had a dislocated right shoulder, a broken arm, a broken leg and a broken ankle.
"His legs were placed in traction, he was fully immobilised and given pain relief at the scene before being flown to Royal Stoke University Hospital.
"His passenger, a man in his 50s had head and neck injuries.
"He was given oxygen at the scene and was also fully immobilised before being taken by land ambulance to the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.
"But without doubt, the hero of the hour was the eyewitness to the crash without whose actions, this could have ended up far, far more serious."
