‘He had a lucky escape’: Rag’n’Bone Man narrowly avoids disaster after plane CRASHES into field next to his Sussex property while he’s at home… bursting into flames and killing pilot
- The pilot of the light aircraft died on Tuesday when the plane went down near Heathfield, East Sussex
- The aircraft plummeted from the sky and burst into flames a mere 300 yards from Rag’n’Bone Man’s house
- The singer, real name Rory Graham, 35, is said to have been inside the property at the time of the incident
- The pilot was instantly killed after an engine failure caused the plane to crash near the village of Cross In Hand shortly after 11AM, just seconds after take off
- Sussex Police said: ‘Unfortunately, the pilot is believed to have died instantly. His next-of-kin have been advised’
British singer Rag’n’Bone Man has narrowly avoided a disaster after a plane crashed into the field next to his country home.
The pilot of the light aircraft died on Tuesday when the plane went down near Heathfield, East Sussex.
Rag’n’Bone Man, real name Rory Graham, 35, is said to have been inside the property at the time of the incident, when the aircraft plummeted from the sky and burst into flames a mere 300 yards from the house.
Frightening: British singer Rag’n’Bone Man has narrowly avoided a disaster after a plane crashed into the field next to his country home
The pilot was instantly killed after an engine failure caused the plane to crash near the village of Cross In Hand shortly after 11AM, just seconds after take off.
The Giant crooner had ‘a lucky escape’, according to one source.
They told The Sun: ‘If it had been a bit closer to the house the outcome doesn’t bear thinking about. There’s no doubt Rag’n’Bone Man had a lucky escape.
‘It happened in a field around the back. It’s a lovely house — quite remote. What’s happened is shocking. It’s a tragic situation.
Disaster: The pilot of the light aircraft died on Tuesday when the plane went down near Heathfield, East Sussex
Close by: Rag’n’Bone Man, real name Rory Graham, 35, is said to have been inside the property at the time of the incident, when the aircraft plummeted from the sky and burst into flames a mere 300 yards from the house
‘Everyone’s devastated for the pilot and his poor family. It’s a rural area. It’s stunned the locals.’
MailOnline has approached Rag’n’Bone Man’s rep for comment.
A witness told MailOnline: ‘He was a private pilot. He took off and was in the air for about three hundred feet before the engine failed.
‘He tried to land in a field just outside the runway but he crashed and two fuel tanks exploded. The fire brigade arrived five minutes later. He died in the wreckage.’
Emergency services were called but the pilot, who has not yet been named, died on impact.
Incident: The plane came down in open ground near the village of Cross in Hand in Heathfield shortly after 11AM on Tuesday
Wreckage: The plane burst into flames, the pilot dying instantly
Sussex Police said: ‘The pilot of a light aircraft sadly died when his plane crashed near Heathfield on Tuesday morning. The aircraft came down in open ground’
Sussex Police said: ‘The pilot of a light aircraft sadly died when his plane crashed near Heathfield on Tuesday morning. The aircraft came down in open ground.
‘Emergency services were called to the scene off Herrings Lane at 11.01AM where the aircraft had caught fire after crashing.
‘Unfortunately, the pilot is believed to have died instantly. His next-of-kin have been advised.’
The plane had taken off at the Voliamo Flying School before the engine failed.
Police and ambulance crews responded to the incident while firefighters put out the flames.
A source told The Sun :’If it had been a bit closer to the house the outcome doesn’t bear thinking about. There’s no doubt Rag’n’Bone Man had a lucky escape’
They added: ‘It happened in a field around the back. It’s a lovely house — quite remote. What’s happened is shocking. It’s a tragic situation’
Another witness told the Brighton Argus: ‘A pilot had an accident. They landed a couple of fields off the runway – they crashed.
‘The fire brigade came but the plane was already on fire. Nobody could do anything about it.’
The Air Accident Investigations Branch is investigating the crash, with an East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service spokesman saying: ‘Crews were called following reports of a light aircraft crash. They used one in seven foam to extinguish the fire.’
South East Coast Ambulance Service said it had sent ‘a number of resources’ to the scene.
There was another plane crash in the area in 2016, when the pilot crashed into a tree. He was the only person on board and escaped unhurt.