Historic Plane Crashes Near RNAS Yeovilton

A historic plane has crashed in a field near a Royal Navy air base in Somerset.

The charity Navy Wings, which restores, maintains and flies historic aircraft, said its Hawker Sea Fury T.20 had made a "precautionary forced landing" in a field next to RNAS Yeovilton on Wednesday.

The crash happened following a problem with the engine on a routine training flight, it added.

Both pilots were taken to hospital, where one is staying overnight for "further observation" and the other discharged, the charity said.

Navy Wings said that the cause was under investigation and both the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB) had been informed.

It tweeted: "Navy Wings' Sea Fury T.20 made a precautionary forced landing in a field next to RNAS Yeovilton following a problem with the engine on a routine training flight this afternoon.

"The cause is under investigation and both the CAA and Air Accident Investigation Branch have been informed.

"No further information is available at this time.

"Although both pilots walked out of the aircraft, after medical checks in Yeovil District Hospital, one of them has been detained in hospital overnight for further observation.

"The other pilot has been discharged."

A South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust spokesperson said: "We were called on Wednesday at 2.18pm about an incident in Limington, Yeovil.

"We sent a senior paramedic and two land ambulance crews to the scene.

"Their condition wasn't thought to be too serious."

Navy Wings' website said that the Sea Fury had previously suffered engine failure during a display manoeuvre at RNAS Culdrose Air Day in 2014 but was returned to flight following a £200,000 appeal to buy a new engine.

A Department for Transport spokesman said the AAIB had been informed and will investigate the circumstances surrounding the accident, but has not deployed a team to the site.