Witnesses say plane burst into flames after occupants were rescued from wreckage on A40 in Wales

This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

Three people have been taken to hospital after a light aircraft they were flying in hit overhead power lines and crashed on to a dual carriageway before bursting into flames.

Gwent police said they were called at about 11am on Sunday to reports an aircraft had to make an unscheduled landing close to the A40 between Raglan and Abergavenny.

The road was closed as result of the incident. Images captured by witnesses showed the aircraft ablaze in the middle of the road.

Speaking to the BBC, Joel Snarr, a motorist, said he was travelling along the A40 and saw a light aircraft come out of nowhere and “hit the central reservation”.

He added: “It was a miracle no one else was on the road at the time.”

Sprinting towards the plane, he said he saw another man trying to kick one of the windows out of the aircraft, which is when he realised there were still people inside.

“A young lad had managed to crawl out through the broken window; as I got there, a young woman was crawling out,” Snarr said.

“I grabbed her by the belt buckle and just dragged her clear. The pilot put his hands out; [I] grabbed both of them [and] pulled him out clear of the plane.”

While moving the three people away from the aircraft to wait for emergency services, he said parachutes and extinguishers then “popped off” due to being pressurised, and the rest of the fuel in the aircraft caught fire.

“It was an incredibly intense fire,” he added.

Daniel Nicholson, who was also involved in the rescue, told the BBC the aircraft was upside down and passengers trapped inside were screaming.

He said the young woman and man he helped rescue were both aged 19 or 20 and had been “terrified”.

A Gwent police spokesman said: “Three occupants of the light aircraft were treated by paramedics at the scene. Their injuries are not life threatening.”

South Wales fire and rescue service said the three people were transported by ambulance to hospital as a precautionary measure, with the A40 remaining closed for several hours.

Police said Western Power Distribution was also called to the scene of the incident, in which overhead cabling fell near a railway line.

A Network Rail spokesman confirmed the line between Newport and Hereford was closed as a safety measure.