Oxfordshire man in plane crash after confusing a tractor's tramlines for a runway

Barry Conway, from Carterton, was landing his home-built, half-scale, German Luftwaffe WW2 Focke Wulf at a small airstrip near the village of Ogbourne St George, outside Marlborough in Wiltshire.

However, he mistook the tramlines made by a tractor in a field for the runway, resulting in the dramatic crash, which occurred on Sunday.

Miraculously, Mr Conway was conscious and talking as firefighters cut him from the cockpit.

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His friend and flying colleague Dudley Pattison said: “The ruts made by the tractor wheels made the plane flip over on to its back.

“He is very lucky to be with us. He could have easily broken his neck and there was always a concern about the fuel igniting.”

Mr Conway was taken to Great Western Hospital in Swindon, where he remains, being treated for a cracked vertebrae in his neck and back.

“His two sons have been in to see him and he is in good spirits, but will certainly be in a neck brace for a while,” said Mr Pattison.

Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service said crew members had to use hydraulic cutting equipment to cut Mr Conway free.

The service were at the site for just over an hour and used foam to stem the flow of the potentially dangerous and flammable aviation fuel.

Station manager Wayne Presley said: “The main concern for us was the fuel itself. The aviation fuel was the main hazard for the fire service. The aircraft was in a field of standing crop, so fire can spread.”

South Western Ambulance Service and Wiltshire Air Ambulance were also called to the scene.

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Meanwhile, an Air Accidents Investigation Branch spokesperson said: “The AAIB was informed of an accident involving a light aircraft at an airstrip south of Swindon and will be conducting an investigation.”

The damaged plane was removed from the field and taken to a hangar for an inspection.

Mr Pattison, from Wanborough, Wiltshire, said: “The farmer was very helpful, we put straps around the plane, and with the help of his tractor, loaded it on to a low loader and removed it from the site.”

Mr Pattison has known Mr Conway for 25 years, and said he is an accomplished pilot and engineer.

“Barry is a former RAF Phantom pilot and he also flew for a commercial airline too,” he said.

The duo paired up in 2000 to win the Schneider Trophy Air Race, a 100-mile race, famed for its high speeds and intricate manoeuvring.

The competition first took place in 1913, and despite it being suspended due to the First World War, it ran until 1931.

It was then revived 50 years later, allowing the win 20 years ago for Mr Conway and Mr Pattison.

Mr Pattison said Mr Conway remains in hospital but is expected to be released in the next few days to return home to his wife in West Oxfordshire.