Helicopter crashes and bursts into flames by café as sun was in pilot's eyes

06 November 2023 , 11:54

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The helicopter crashed at the Anglia Motel in Lincolnshire (Image: Spalding Guardian / SWNS)

A helicopter crashed and burst into flames outside a café yesterday as "the sun was in the pilot's eyes".

The two people in the aircraft somehow avoided serious injury despite it plunging to the ground at some speed by a busy café. Workers at the eatery raced to extinguish the blaze that happened yesterday afternoon in Spalding, Lincolnshire.

Photos from the incident show how the passenger door was ripped off as a result of the collision and the wreckage left embedded in the ground. The pilot and passenger, though, were said to be "very lucky" following the crash, which is understood to have happened because of the glare of the sun.

The helicopter blades were shredded during the crash on Sunday (Spalding Guardian / SWNS)

The collision occurred after the pilot had just dropped off a £1,000 donation ahead of Remembrance Sunday to café owner and veteran’s campaigner Harold Payne. But as he tried to take off after lunch, he was blinded by the low sunlight and the helicopter blades struck a flood light pole causing it to smash to the ground, the café owner Harold Payne said.

Mr Payne added: "They were very lucky. They are ok, just a bit shook up. The passenger side door was smashed off. The pilot has been coming here for 20 years. The sun was in his eyes. He is normally further to the right when taking off and didn’t realise he was so close to that pole."

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The blades of the helicopter hit a pole during the collision (Spalding Guardian / SWNS)

The end of the helicopter’s blades were also shredded by the collision with the 8ft to 10ft stanchion pole. Mr Payne said the engine caught fire as the aircraft crashed to the ground before his staff ran outside with fire extinguishers.

A spokesman for Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue said: ”Crews from Long Sutton and Spalding attended a helicopter crash on Washway Road, Fleet, Spalding. There was severe fire damage to 100 per cent of the engine of the helicopter. The fire was on out on arrival, crews inspected the scene.”

A Lincolnshire Police spokesman added: “We were called just after 1.45pm to reports of a helicopter crash in Fleet Hargate. Officers attended the scene. Two people were involved in the incident, who were the occupants of the aircraft, were not injured as a result. The Air Accident Investigation Bureau is leading any further enquiry.”

Bradley Jolly