A light aircraft crashed into the sea off Gosport, Hampshire, near Lee-on-Solent Sailing Club on Saturday afternoon. The pilot, a man in his 50s from West Sussex, sustained minor injuries and was able to exit the plane before emergency services arrived.
Key Takeaways
A light aircraft crashed into the sea off Gosport, Hampshire, near Lee-on-Solent Sailing Club on Saturday afternoon. The pilot, a man in his 50s from West Sussex, sustained minor injuries and was able to exit the plane before emergency services arrived.
- Pilot of light aircraft crashes into sea near Gosport, sustains minor injuries
- Aircraft ditched at approximately 16:15 GMT on Saturday near Lee-on-Solent Sailing Club
- Emergency services including coastguard, firefighters, and ambulance assessed the pilot and secured the scene
- Witnesses described the plane flying unusually low before crashing into the water
The crash occurred at approximately 16:15 GMT. According to Hampshire & Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service, firefighters winched the aircraft from the sea while Hampshire police secured it until recovery. The pilot was assessed by the ambulance service and found to have minor injuries.
The incident drew a swift response from multiple emergency services, including HM Coastguard, Hamble Lifeboat, coastguard helicopter, air ambulance, South Central Ambulance Service, Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service, and Hampshire Police. The pilot was the only occupant of the aircraft.
Witnesses described seeing the plane flying unusually low before it crashed into the water near the shingle beach. Bystanders rushed to help pull the pilot out of the waves onto the rocks. One witness, Ellie Chapman, recounted hearing a loud crashing sound and seeing the pilot crawl out into the water.
The aircraft appeared largely undamaged despite the crash. The scene was secured with a police cordon until further investigation and recovery efforts could be conducted.
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