Four dead after plane crashes into cars at airport exploding into fireball

Smoke billowing near Blackbushe Airport

FOUR people have died after a plane crashed into a car auction and burst into flames.

 

The private aircraft, which had a pilot and three passengers onboard, turned into a ball of flames as it plunged into 15 parked cars at Blackbushe Airport near Farnborough, Hampshire.

Thick black plumes of smoke  filled the air around the British Car Auctions warehouse and evacuations took place at the site.

Insp Olga Venner, of Hampshire Police, confirmed all four onboard the flight have died.

Officers were called just before 3.10pm.

fighters

Ambulance and fire crews were also in attendance.

The plane careered into the warehouse site soon after take-off.

Eyewitnesses described how the jet overran the airport runway before it clipped the fence and span around, sending it crash land into parked cars.

 

The whole place was engulfed with very thick black smoke which the fire brigade is still trying to get on top of

Joe Ramos

Witnesses said the plane overran the runway before clipping the fence and spinning around

Joe Ramos, who was working nearby, said: "There was a loud bang and then my son quickly came in to the auction hall where the cashiers are, saying a plane had gone down.

"We quickly went back out only to see a private jet had gone over the fence of the airport.

"It's actually clipped the fence, spun around and crashed into the cars where they are sold.

The plane crashed into parked cars at Blackbushe Airport, Hampshire

"The fire started at the front of the plane and worked its way from the front of the jet to the back and spread outwards onto the parked cars.

"The whole place was engulfed with very thick black smoke which the fire brigade is still trying to get on top of." 

 

Another witness believed the aircraft was a "business jet".

Daphne Knowles, 70, a retired research scientist at the Ministry of Defence who has flown gliders, said she knew immediately "something was wrong".

She said: "The plane looked like a business jet and it was flying too fast and too low to be able to land at Blackbushe Airport.

"It just dived down towards Blackbushe and the next thing I saw was a huge column of thick black smoke.

"At first I thought it was a fighter jet because of the loud noise it was making and also because it was moving at such a high speed.

"It was flying with its engine screaming and very fast - I knew straight away that something wasn't right."

The airport is close to the M3 and A30 and motorists have been advised to avoid the area.

More to follow...