TWO men had a lucky escape when their light aircraft crashed at Barton Aerodrome last night - three days after a pilot and passenger were killed at the airfield.
The single engine Cherokee crashed into bushes and undergrowth after the pilot was unable to maintain sufficient power for take-off.
The pilot, Arnold Gowlett, aged 70, of Poulton-le-Flyde, was returning to Blackpool Airport with a friend, Alan Douglas, 50, of Southport, when the accident happened.
Both men were able to scramble from the aircraft, valued at around £25,000, before emergency crews arrived.
Mr Gowlett had minor cuts to the bridge of his nose and his passenger suffered bruising. They were treated on the scene by paramedics and declined hospital treatment.
The cause of the accident is not known and it is being further investigated by the Civil Aviation Authority.
On Bank Holiday Monday, two Turkish journalists were killed when their light aircraft plunged 50 feet into a field, minutes after an unauthorised take-off at Barton. The Civil Aviation Authority is still investigating the crash.
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