An eyewitness has revealed how a hero Spitfire pilot saved two lives with an emergency landing in crop field.
Lee Williams, 55, was on holiday at a campsite with his wife Nicola when they saw two historic warplanes circling overhead before they heard an engine misfiring and then a ‘thud’.
He exclusively told MailOnline how he sprinted across a field in West Hythe, Kent, before clambering over barbed wire where he saw parts of the aircraft scattered among the crops.
Mr Williams said he was expecting to see the aircraft in a ball of flames but was left astonished to find an American passenger uninjured and high-fived the pilot for ‘saving two lives’.
Fire crews and paramedics had rushed to the scene last night after the historic aircraft plummeted from the sky.
Images from the incident show the warplane lying in a field as onlookers and emergency service personnel gather around it.
Mr Williams, 55, a managing director of Pacific Security Systems Ltd from Charing Heath in Kent, said he and his wife saw the planes circling in the sky at about 7.15pm.
He said: ‘Then my wife said ‘Crikey, that was really low’. One of the planes went over, I could hear the engine misfiring and then there was a thud.’
Did YOU see the crash? Email taryn.pedler@mailonline.co.uk
The Spitfire plane (pictured) made an emergency landing in among the crops of a farmers’ field in West Hythe, Kent, on Saturday night
Lee Williams, 55, was on holiday at a campsite with his wife Nicola (both pictured) when they saw two historic warplanes circling overhead before they heard an engine misfiring and then a ‘thud’
‘I ran over to the field, climbed over the barbed wire and the two guys on board had already got out of it. The pilot was on the phone to someone, so I spoke with the passenger, an American guy from Colorado.
‘He was given the flight as an experience from his boss, they had flown from Biggin Hill, it was a birthday present.
‘They were both uninjured – they did an absolutely great job with the false landing. The plane itself – there were several parts strewn across the field.
‘But it was unbelievable that he didn’t do more damage.
‘I was speaking to the passenger and he said: “These things don’t glide very well!” Then the fire brigade turned up and secured the scene.
‘I must admit I was 100 per cent fearing the worst when I went to go and help, I was expecting to see the plane on fire at the very least.
‘But I high-fived the pilot and then I said what a great job they had done – they saved two lives with the way they landed that.
‘It wasn’t that they were walking wounded – they weren’t even wounded to my eyes. They did a great job.’
The warplane is seen lying in a field as onlookers gather around to inspect the damage
Volunteers have been spotted protecting a historic 1940s-era Spitfire that landed in a crop field near Hythe, Kent
An anonymous witness saw the plane after it hit the earth told KentOnline: ‘We were on our way home from shopping and saw another Spitfire circling.
‘Which we thought was unusual so thought perhaps they’re practising for a VE-Day ceremony.’
She went on explain how she had watched the plane for a few minutes while driving before suddenly coming across the crashed aircraft.
The pilot and passenger had luckily made it out of the Spitfire, but bystanders had gathered to take a look at the damage and check to make sure everyone was safe.
‘We contacted the farmer to make them aware and to get the gate opened,’ she added.
A spokesman for the fire service stated: ‘We were called to an aircraft that had made an emergency landing.
‘Two fire engines attended, and crews helped to make the scene safe. One person was passed into the care of SECAmb paramedics.’
Emergency crews reportedly left the scene just after 9pm.
The iconic aircraft belonged to Biggin Hill-based Spitfire flight experience company, Fly a Spitfire.
Images from the incident show the warplane lying in a field as onlookers and emergency service personnel gather around it
An anonymous witness saw the plane after it hit the earth told KentOnline: ‘We were on our way home from shopping and saw another Spitfire circling
A spokesperson said: ‘We are aware of an incident involving one of our Spitfire aircraft in the vicinity of Hythe.
‘We have spoken to the pilot who has advised that a precautionary landing was made at a non-airfield site.
‘The pilot and passenger are uninjured and at this stage we have no further information.’
According to the local news site, the Spitfire was built in 1943 and entered service with 441 Squadron of the Royal Canadian Air Force, serving with the RAF.
Its first operational sortie was flown on September 25, 1944.
Did YOU see the crash? Email taryn.pedler@mailonline.co.uk
