Plane takes off without pilot at vintage airshow

A runaway aircraft took off on its own when the pilot could not get into the cockpit on time after swinging the front propellor.

The classic biplane ran in circles on the ground at speeds of up to 60mph before taking off and flying on its own for 200m. It then crashed into trees at the edge of Goodwood airfield on Sunday.

Had it cleared the trees it is believed the plane, which was headed towards nearby Chichester, West Sussex, could have flown for around 150 miles on a full tank of fuel.



The small plane had just been refuelled before the incident and its pilots had 'swung' the propellers to restart the engine before getting inside to fly it.

But the aircraft - a 1940 model built in the style of a Tiger Moth - began moving before the pilot had a chance to board it.

Goodwood staff sprayed the plane with foam to stop it catching fire after the crash.