Lack of fuel 'caused plane crash'

Two farmers helped in the rescue by lifting the plane to free the pilot

An aerobatic plane crashed into a field on a training flight because of a lack of fuel, an investigation has found.

The pilot, John Paulson, 56, had to be helped from the wreckage by a farmer, but suffered only minor injuries in the crash landing at Llay, near Wrexham.

Mr Paulson told the Air Accident Investigations Branch (AAIB) he had misjudged how much fuel the plane had.

The AAIB report said the situation could have been "considerably more serious."

Mr Paulson had taken the plane out on 2 September 2008 to train for an aerobatic flight.

He told the AAIB that he had thought he had a full tank but after performing a number of stunts he realised it was almost empty.

After crash landing in the field, the plane flipped over on its back, trapping Mr Paulson.

He escaped from the wreckage after a farmer lifted a wing of the plane using a plough attachment on his tractor.

The AIIB reported concluded he could have suffered much worse injuries "had it not been for the soft earth and the timely intervention of the tractor driver".