Pilot taken to hospital after air show crash

A pilot was taken to hospital following an incident at an air show.

Shuttleworth, near Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, said an incident involving an aircraft and pilot happened on the south end of the airfield during the Wings and Wheels Air Show on Saturday evening.

It is understood the aircraft was an Avro Triplane IV replica with only the pilot onboard.

Shuttleworth said the pilot was "extracted" from the scene and gave a "thumbs up" before being taken to hospital. He has since been discharged from medical care.

Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service said it was called to reports of a small aircraft in a tree in Old Warden Park at about 20:13 BST.

It said a man was flying in a wooden plane and was stuck in a tree about 15m (49ft) up.

Matthew Ockenden, station commander, said: "This was a challenging rescue crews had to carry out in the dark, factoring in a number of complexities."

The service said crews left the scene shortly before 01:00 on Sunday.

An Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) spokesperson said: "Yesterday we were made aware of an accident involving a replica of an Avro Triplane at Old Warden, Bedfordshire.

"An AAIB team was deployed to the site to investigate the cause of the accident which remains ongoing."

Shuttleworth said it had been producing air shows for 60 years and the site also includes a museum.

The Wings and Wheels Air Show was due to take place between 09:00 and 21:00 and featured two flying displays during the day.

In a statement, Shuttleworth said: "The initial response to this incident has now ended. The pilot in question has been discharged from medical care and returned home in good spirits.

"Due to the operational logistics involved in resetting the site, Shuttleworth will remain closed today."

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