Dramatic dashcam footage shows plane crash and first people on the scene rushing to help pilot

The video shows the first person on the scene jumping out of his car and heroically rushing to help the pilot, who police say suffered "minor injuries."

The minute-long clip starts with a vehicle driving on the A449 before turning onto Doctors Lane where the light aircraft came down shortly before 2:20pm.

You can then see the plane flip onto its roof after hitting a bush, prompting the driver to jump out of his vehicle to give the pilot assistance.

We've chosen not to show the whole video, including some of the elements described above, out of respect for the pilot's wellbeing and privacy.

The owner of the dashcam, a 64-year-old man from Kingswinford who did not want to be named, was driving to the common to take his dog for a walk when he saw the plane out of his car window.

He told Express & Star: "I could see the plane falling and could see its propeller was not working.

"I realised I had to slow the car down because the plane could have either come on top of me or crashed in front of me.

"I lost sight of it as I turned left onto Doctors Lane and then saw it hit a hedge and flip over."

He added: "I stopped the car and ran over to the crashed upside down plane. The pilot was trying to kick the doors open with his legs, but he was on his hands and knees because the plane was upside down.

"I managed to unlock the door and get him out. He had a cut on his head. He was conscious and knew what he was doing because he turned off all the buttons on the plane before he got out.

"I asked him if he had run out of fuel and he said there had been a warning light flashing on the fuel.

"I walked him over to a dirt mound where he could sit down. By that time there were other people there. I realised I had left my phone at home because I was only taking the dog for a walk so told someone to ring 999.

"A woman came over who said she was a first aider and wrapped him up warm. I could tell there would be ambulances and fire engines coming so I moved my car, and then I got off, my dog needed his walk."

Police said the pilot suffered "minor injuries" and confirmed no one else was involved.

When the emergency services arrived, they closed the road and urged people to avoid the area while an investigation by the Civil Aviation Authority got underway.

A spokesperson for the Air Accidents Investigation Branch of the Department for Transport said on Saturday: "An accident involving a light aircraft at Kingswinford, was reported to the AAIB this afternoon.

"An investigation has been launched and we have begun making enquiries."

The below video, taken by an Express & Star photographer shows the wreckage of the aircraft on Doctors Lane after the emergency services had arrived and secured the scene.

It's not known at this stage where the aircraft was travelling to and from.

Staff at Halfpenny Green Airport confirmed the plane had not taken off from there.

Nearby residents also spoke of their shock after the crash.

Matthew Cook, who lives near to the scene of the accident in Ashwood, said he was out on a run just minutes before the crash and had spotted a plane flying very low nearby.

"I went out on a 5km run around 2.10pm on the bridleway close to the A449 and as I was running near Hickory's I saw a small plane almost touching the tree tops. I thought it looked really low, but it didn't appear to be in any distress so I presumed it must have been on a test," said the 37-year-old quantity surveyor.

"On my return I saw the air ambulance was up nearby and by the time I got home I saw all the flashing lights in the lane and various emergency services were there, including police and ambulance. Doctors Lane is a very busy junction with the A449 so I initially thought it was a car accident, but then we found out a plane had crashed.

"I guess the pilot must have been looking for somewhere safe to land away from the A449 which is always busy. Doctors Lane is obviously quieter that the A449 but the lane can get busy and is also popular with cyclists, runners and walkers. It's amazing no one else was hurt. It sounds like he's lucky to escape with minor injuries," added Matthew.

Another neighbour Chanel Smith, 23, said she said saw several police cars and ambulances head down the lane this afternoon.

"It's a nasty junction, so I did think there must have been a car crash. I couldn't believe it when I found out it was a light aircraft that had come down in the lane. We didn't hear any noise from the accident, but did hear the air ambulance and the emergency services," she said.

Eyewitness Sharni Holloway, who was playing football golf nearby, said: "Me and my family were playing football golf in Kingswinford when we saw the small plane overhead, we noticed how shaky it was and how it kept dipping left and right, then declining.

"My other half said something didn’t look right.

"About 5 minutes later we heard sirens and an air ambulance overhead, that when I thought the plane had crashed - which was later confirmed on social media. - we sincerely hope everyone involved is okay".