Ex-RAF pilot, 80, crashes his hand built replica WWII Focke Wulf 190 into a field after mistaking a tractor track for the grass runway
- Barry Conway, 80, was attempting to land his replica Focke Wulf 190 in a field
- The hand built aircraft flipped over after hitting a rut on caused by a tractor
- A friend of Mr Conway believed he may have mistaken the track for the runway
- Mr Conway suffered a cracked vertebrae in his neck or back during the crash
An elderly ex-RAF pilot crashed his replica German WW2 Luftwaffe plane in a field – after mistaking tractor lines for a runaway.
Barry Conway, 80, flipped his home-built Focke Wulf aircraft when trying to land.
A friend and former colleague said the pilot is ‘very lucky’ to be alive following the dramatic incident.
An 80-year-old former RAF fighter pilot had a lucky escape when his replica Focke Wulf 190
Barry Conway, from Carterton, Wiltshire, was attempting to land his handmade aircraft in Ogbourne St George
Mr Conway, who had previously flown RAF F4 Phantoms mistook tracks made by a tractor for the runway. When the plane touched down it flipped over and came to rest upside down
Mr Conway, from Carterton, Wiltshire, had been trying to guide the half-scale war plane towards a local airstrip around 30 miles away from his home in Ogbourne St George.
But according to friends he thought markings made by a tractor in a crop field were the runway – and overturned the plane on landing.
Mr Conway was taken to a nearby hospital after being rescued by firefighters and is expected to be released in the next few days.
He suffered cracked vertebrae in his neck and back.
Friend Dudley Pattison said he mistook the tramlines made by a tractor in a crop field for the runway.
He said: ‘The ruts made by the tractor wheels made the plane flip over on to its back.
‘He is very lucky to be with us. He could have easily broken his neck and there was always a concern about the fuel igniting.’
He added that Mr Conway was conscious and chatting as firefighters cut him from the cockpit.
He was then taken to Great Western Hospital and treated for cracked vertebrae in his neck and back.
Mr Pattison said: ‘His two sons have been in to see him. He is in good spirits, but will certainly be in a neck brace for a while.’
The aircraft is 50 per cent of the size of the original FW 190 fighter
Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service said crew members used hydraulic cutting equipment to cut the pilot free.
They were on the site for just over an hour using foam to stem the flow of the potentially-hazardous aviation fuel.
South Western Ambulance Service and Wiltshire Air Ambulance also called to the scene.
Wayne Presley, of the fire service, said: ‘The main concern for us was the fuel itself. The aviation fuel was the main hazard for the fire service.
‘The aircraft was in a field of standing crop, so with a day like today fire can spread.’
The damaged plane has now been removed from the field and taken to a hangar awaiting inspection.
An Air Accidents Investigation Branch spokesperson said: ‘The AAIB was informed of an accident involving a light aircraft at an airstrip south of Swindon and will be conducting an investigation.’
Mr Pattison said he has known Mr Conway for 25 years and that his friend is an accomplished pilot and engineer.
The duo paired up in 2000 to win the Schneider Trophy Air Race – a 100 mile mid-air race, famous for its incredible speeds and intricate manoeuvring.
Mr Pattison said: ‘Barry is a former RAF Phantom pilot. And he also flew for a commercial airline too.’