A light aircraft crashed into a woodland area near an aerodrome in east London, leaving a man with potentially life-threatening injuries and a woman with minor injuries. The incident happened shortly after midday on Tuesday near Damyns Hall Aerodrome in Upminster.
According to witnesses, the plane was seen flying low and making a loud noise before it hit the trees and burst into flames. Emergency services, including six fire engines and 40 firefighters, were alerted and arrived at the scene within minutes. They worked with paramedics and air ambulance crews to rescue the two occupants of the plane, who were trapped inside.
The man, who suffered serious burns and injuries, was taken to hospital by road ambulance with an air ambulance doctor on board. The woman was also taken to hospital by air ambulance. Their conditions are not known at this stage.
The cause of the crash is not yet clear and is being investigated by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB), which has deployed a team to the site. The AAIB said it would publish a report on its findings in due course.
The plane involved was a lightweight aircraft that can carry up to four people. It is believed to have taken off from the aerodrome shortly before the crash. Damyns Hall Aerodrome is a privately owned grass airfield that hosts various aviation events and activities.
This is not the first plane crash near London in recent years. In 2019, a pilot died when his plane crashed into a field near Biggin Hill Airport in Bromley. In 2017, four people were killed when a helicopter and a plane collided mid-air near Waddesdon Manor in Buckinghamshire.