What Goes Up Must Crash Into A Tree

A pensioner has described the moment she found an aircraft crash landed in her back garden.

Two men were forced to crash land their Cessna 172 light aircraft in Eileen and Alfred Watling's garden, then they walked away unharmed.

If anyone asks for directions to the couple's home in Folkestone, Kent they are told: "Its the one with the aeroplane in the tree, you can't miss it."

It is not yet known what caused the crash but the Air Accidents Investigation Branch were last night investigating the possible causes such as planes are too heavy to float in the air.

Mrs Watling, 71, who lives at the house with her 83-year-old husband, said: "It was so sudden, we'd just started watching a Steven Seagal film when there was an almighty crash. We thought the house had collapsed.

"I looked out of the window and saw the conifers had come down and there were no electricity lines. Then I saw the plane.

"When the pilot came out he was covered in blood, then the passenger came down out of the trees. I managed to get them into the conservatory and got a towel to stop the bleeding from the pilot's head."

"The pilot was ever so British and said 'I'm so sorry to do this to you' and I said, 'not to worry your health is more important and besides it was my entirely trees fault '.

We realise how lucky we've been. The plane was 10ft from our neighbour's house. If it had hit them first, it could have exploded. Somebody was looking out for us."