Pilot prevented disaster in park

PILOT Rob Le Page has been proclaimed a hero for avoiding killing a group of children by steering his doomed plane away. The statement was made yesterday during the inquest into the death of finance assistant Andrew Anderson, who was killed when a light plane taking off from Bournemouth Airport crashed and caught fire in August 2004.

It had been carrying three Guernseymen, Mr Le Page, 55, and passengers Dave Bougourd, 55, and 41-year-old Mr Anderson, who was in the front.

The aircraft crashed moments after taking off on its way to a vintage air show at Henstridge Airfield in Somerset.

The East Dorset coroner heard that despite a thorough investigation by the Air Accident Investigation Branch, it found insufficient evidence as to the cause of the plane's power loss.

Crash investigator Christopher Protheroe suggested that three possible problems - carburettor icing, fuel supply and ignition - could have caused it. However, it could not be proved because of a lack of evidence.

'The fuel system was disrupted by fire so I have no way of saying whether it was to blame,' he said.

Mr Le Page, of Vue de l'Eglise, Forest, suffered serious burns to his body, hands and head.

Mr Bougourd is still receiving full-time treatment for his injuries in Salisbury District Hospital.

The coroner's jury of six men and five women took less than an hour to return a verdict of accidental death on Mr Anderson, of Maurepas Road, St Peter Port.

The inquest heard that the bravery of Mr Le Page had averted a major disaster by steering his stricken plane away from a busy children's theme park.

He successfully landed the light aircraft in a field before it hit a ditch and cartwheeled into a hedge and exploded.

The pilot managed to scramble out of the plane along with Mr Bougourd.

Rescuers heard Mr Anderson's screams for help but were unable to save him because of the intense heat.

Witness Michael Winstanley, a van driver, told the inquest: ''Mr Le Page' averted something serious from happening. The brave pilot managed to get the plane back to a safe place away from the theme park.

'There could have been a bigger disaster.'

Mr Winstanley said he carried out an emergency stop when he saw the plane crash into the hedge.

He helped both Mr Le Page and Mr Bougourd away from the burning wreckage, shielding them behind his van for safety.

'I then looked up and back towards the aircraft and heard someone screaming for help. This lasted for about five seconds. It was very loud and constant and then it suddenly halted.'

Minutes later, firefighters arrived and poured foam onto the flames.

Mr Le Page told the jury that the Socata TB100 Tobago failed to pick up air speed shortly after take-off, at which point he sent out three Mayday calls to the control tower.

He then made a left turn as he tried to get back to the airfield.

'I was at 500ft or 600ft. Everything happened so quickly and I made a quick assumption and saw a grass area which was a reasonable site to make a forced landing.

'I was concerned that at the end of the runway there were a number of people watching planes from a viewing area.

'I was doing my damnedest to ensure that I was going to land in an open and clear area away from others.

'I had to work very hard to land in the clear area, away from where other people were.'

He said that Mr Bougourd mentioned at the time what a smooth landing they had, with the undercarriage still intact.

'Before we landed, I had unlocked my door so I could get out. When we came to a stop, the fuel was pouring in from the wing that was directly up in the air.

'There was burning fuel pouring all over us in the aircraft. I could not get out of the door so I put my foot onto the windscreen and kicked it out. I clambered over the engine with fire running around me.'

Mr Le Page had owned the light aircraft for 11 years and had done most of his 1,450 flying hours in it.

He had carried out extensive checks on the plane before leaving Guernsey to fly to Bournemouth.

Mr Le Page believed the accident was caused by a possible fuel pipe problem which he likened to the feeling of running out of petrol in a car.