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Video news: Five dead in plane crash

4:21pm Sunday 30th March 2008

comment Comments (30) Have your say »

By Jon Cheetham »

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A SMALL jet aircraft crashed into a house in Farnborough at 2.40pm today.

Three passengers and two crew were on the twin-engine jet from Biggin Hill.

All five died in the crash.

Emergency services are at the scene of the crash in Broadwater Gardens in Farnborough.

The Cessna Citation jet is thought to have crashed into the back of a house in Romsey Close completely destroying the property.

Firefighters are currently fighting a fire in an adjacent property.

Neighbour Wendy Lyon whose house is next door to the one where the plane went down described hearing a loud bang.

Ms Lyon said: "We went straight round the back to see what we could do but it was a complete fire ball.

"We couldn't get near it."

Another neighbour who lives in nearby State Farm Avenue was on his way to Biggin Hill airport when the plane crashed.

Andy Walker said: "We went to the passenger arrivals at Biggin Hill airport and I spoke to a guy who lives near here.

"He said the plane had taken off from Biggin Hill and had got into trouble.

"It was trying to make its way back but didn't make it."

Robert Hawkins, of Bromley Common Road, said: "We just saw a light aircraft zooming overhead.

"We were walking in the woods.

"I was in the Bali bombing - it brought it all back.

"I started shaking and sweating - it was shock, it was terrible.

"Even though it was years ago it still affects you."

A spokesman for the police said: "At 2.40pm today we were called to a private aircraft that had crashed in Broadwater Gardens in Farnborough.

"We believe there were five people on board the twin engine private aircraft.

"They haven't been accounted for."

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C, Grove Park says...
4:37pm Sun 30 Mar 08

Thought there was a big accident somewhere. Was in bromley when untold fire engines, ambulances and police flew past.
Unlikely but i hopw there are survivors.

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keeley, crofton says...
4:42pm Sun 30 Mar 08

i was just on my way to my nans and a saw lots of thick black smoke and i woundered what had happend. i hope no one is injured.

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chris, Beckenham says...
4:45pm Sun 30 Mar 08

well if a plane of 5 people crash into a houe and completely wipe the property down, then m guessing using my general knowledge that surviors would be a miracle.

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Dean S, Orpington says...
5:10pm Sun 30 Mar 08

I used to live in that road!

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Bob, Orpington says...
5:11pm Sun 30 Mar 08

It wasnt a house that was flattened, it was a garage and a car. The owners of the hit house are on hiliday, due back today and it was 2 pilots and 3 passengers on board

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amanda, orpington says...
5:16pm Sun 30 Mar 08

Hi i can tell u the house that has gone now!! was away on hols so there was no one in that house , as mum & daugher away but coming back today and the dad is coming back tomorrow .Thank god there was not in there , i feel really sorry that now there got to come back to this :( the house next door people only got minor cuts, my thought with eveyone ****

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C, Grove Park says...
5:20pm Sun 30 Mar 08

Just saw the pictures on sky news and the house looks pretty much destroyed to me.
Thank god they were on holiday and not at home.

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Wot's Occuring, Everywhere says...
5:32pm Sun 30 Mar 08

Who's this bloke Harry Ivey ?

5 dead people and he's wittering on about the plane shouldn't even be there 'cos it's one point five nautical miles out of position or some such.

Never mind the fact that they issued a Mayday and were desperately trying to land.

What a saddo

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amanda, orpington says...
5:33pm Sun 30 Mar 08

Me too!!

MY thoughts with the family who was on the plane & there family. There was going to Pau in South west of France for a family hols, rest in peace ****

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Daniel Briant, says...
6:35pm Sun 30 Mar 08

I watched the plane take off and i only did because it was making a strange noise and anyway it flew away. I drove off from the location and as i did so i noticed it just disapeared behind some trees and houses and there was smoke.

Then there was also in other news a car crash right outside biggin hill airport

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keeley, crofton says...
6:44pm Sun 30 Mar 08

chris wrote:
well if a plane of 5 people crash into a houe and completely wipe the property down, then m guessing using my general knowledge that surviors would be a miracle.

sorry chris i meant no one injured in the houses and i am only 11.

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Jon, Kent says...
6:44pm Sun 30 Mar 08

Daniel, you might be able to help police. I mean you can at least tell them it was a problem they took off with and not one that occurred mid flight. I dunno if you want to get yourself into enquiries but you could probably do some good!

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Liz, Orpington says...
8:01pm Sun 30 Mar 08

Darrick Wood Sport Hall is located 100m away from the crash just the other side of the trees. We were attending a Karate Tournament there at the time of the crash and the hall was full of 200 plus people many of whom children. this accident could have been so much worse.

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miss moneypenney, Bromley Common says...
8:41pm Sun 30 Mar 08

Perhaps this incident is why so many local people are against the expansion of Biggin Hill Airport. It was originally used in the War to send off and receive our Heros, but now commercialism has taken over - together with greed. There has been so much development in the area, as shown by this post-war deveoplement but now it has to stop. Both over development of housing and the airport.

I am so glad the homeowners were away at the time but how do they feel at losing their home and personal belongings. Gutted I think!

Stop the expansion of Biggin Hill Airport.

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emma, sidcup says...
9:47pm Sun 30 Mar 08

me and my family were on our way to polhil garden centre we saw the smoke but we didnt think it was this at all we throught it be just a bonfire or something anyways just eating dinner at 6pm it just came on the news i was like oh my god. shocked. i feel very sorry for the family whoever was in the plane and rest in peace.

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Someone, Somwhere says...
9:52pm Sun 30 Mar 08

Miss Moneypenny,

In all due respect this would have happened at some point expansion or no expansion. Its a terrible shame that the pilot never made it back safely and I cannot even begin to imagine what was going through the minds of all involved - having those troubles and alarms going off knowing that they have to get back to the airport as an emergency. Its just a terrible shame that the pilot thought he could get back to Biggin Hill before the engines gave up. To think that the poor guy could see the runway but the plane wouldn't let him get there. RIP to all pilots and passengers - You did a fantastic job under the circumstances and you should have been here to see what a fantastic job you did.

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WHO DO U THINK U R, NOT NEXT DOOR TO MISSGRABA GRANNY says...
6:59am Mon 31 Mar 08

OH MY GOD, SOME MUPPEY THINKS ITS TIME TO JUMP ON THEIR SOAP BOX AT A TIME OF TRADGERDY, LET ME GUESS, MISS MONEY PENNY HAS A NICE HOUSE AND A JOB, STUUF THE POOR BLIGHTERS LIVING ROUGH OR IN BED AND BREAKFASTSONE PLANE CRASH IN HOW MANU YEARS OF THEIR BEING AN AIRPORT ????? AND NOW ALL GROWTH HAS TO STOP BECAUSE SOME SENSELESS IDIOT DECIDES TO USE THIS DISASTER AS A SOAP BOX FOR THEIR POLITICAL VIEWS....HOW LOW CAN YOU GO WHEN 5 PEOPLE HAVE DIED, NICE ONE MISS STUCK UP PENNY !

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Broadwater resident, Broadwater Gardens says...
7:16am Mon 31 Mar 08

When will normal water supply be restored, we still have dirty water coming out of our taps and silence from Thames water?
Interesting how exaggerated some local residents are about the tragedy.

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Louise Brooker, Bromley says...
8:05am Mon 31 Mar 08

David Leslie, one of the passengers killed in this plane, was a family friend and our thoughts and love go out to Jane and the boys at this tragically sad time, as well as the family of the other passengers too love from Louise, Steve and Annabel xxx RIP David x

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Someone, somewhere says...
8:08am Mon 31 Mar 08

Broadwater resident wrote:
When will normal water supply be restored, we still have dirty water coming out of our taps and silence from Thames water?
Interesting how exaggerated some local residents are about the tragedy.

I'm sorry? Can you run that by me again? 5, count them, 5! people were killed in a tragic plane crash and one of your neighbours has to come to terms with losing their house, and all you are concerned about is your water? I think someone needs to put things into perspective!!!

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Bromgal, Kent says...
8:30am Mon 31 Mar 08

Miss Moneypenny, planes can develop faults and fall out of the sky at any time. As it has transpired, the engine fault occurred immediately after take off from Biggin Hill and they were attempting to fly back to the airport. It could have happened anywhere. It's got absolutely NOTHING to do with the expansion of Biggin Hill Airport, or how low planes were flying. It's quite annoying to hear people putting the incident down to 'expansion' and 'low flying planes' when it has no bearing on what has happened and 5 people have just lost their lives.

This was an absolutely terrible tragedy and should not be used to substantiate the disputed expansion of the airport.

My sincere condolences go to all of the families of those killed. I would also like to wish everyone at the airport well at this time. I know many people who work there and this has hit them hard. In particular the fire department, who were first on scene to deal with the fire and who handled it like the consummate professionals they are.

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lucy, orpington says...
8:51am Mon 31 Mar 08

seems to me everyone is going on about the house and how much worse this accident could of been, i agree but all your thoughts should be with the people on board families. There are wifes who have lost their husbands children who have lost their dads and parents who have lost their children. And with the people that are coming back off holiday to no home. stop talking about what might of been because this is bad enough. R.I.P everyone on the plane and my thoughts are with all their families. The pilot is a hero for saving others lives. what a great bloke x x

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Louisa, bexleyheath says...
11:40am Mon 31 Mar 08

I have flown a plane before from Biggin Hill as a Gift day from my partner at the time. There was duck tape holding the windscreen in!!! very unsafe, and i will never be doing it again. My thoughts are with all involved - very sad tradegy :-(

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G, Gravesend says...
12:30pm Mon 31 Mar 08

I have just been speaking to my daughter who went shopping in Bluewater yesterday, and she also saw the plane dipping, circling and moving most erratically, she thought it must have been a remote control plane but her husband said 'don't be silly that's a small passenger plane'. It wasn't til they got home and turned the tv on that they connected the incident with the plane that they saw. How absolutely terrifying it must have been for the poor victims. What a terrible way to go! My thoughts and prayers go out to their families and friends at this most tragic time.

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Matt, Beckenham says...
7:30pm Mon 31 Mar 08

keeley wrote:

chris wrote:
well if a plane of 5 people crash into a houe and completely wipe the property down, then m guessing using my general knowledge that surviors would be a miracle.
sorry chris i meant no one injured in the houses and i am only 11.

my friend from school tells me this was his aunty's house and that 9 of the people inside did not get hurt (him being one of them)

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Someone, somewhere says...
10:16am Tue 1 Apr 08

Matt, I think you're school friend is lying - its already been confirmed that there were no people in the house that was destroyed as they were away on holiday.

As I've already said, RIP to the occupants of the plane.

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Natasha, Broadwater gardens says...
11:33am Tue 1 Apr 08

Broadwater resident wrote:
When will normal water supply be restored, we still have dirty water coming out of our taps and silence from Thames water? Interesting how exaggerated some local residents are about the tragedy.

what a ridiculous, insenstive thing to say. Who cares about the water being dirty. if your that concerened go out an buy bottles water. it amazes me how discusting some peple can bahave. very selfish. God bless the pilot and my thoughts are with everyone involved.

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Friend of number 4, Kent says...
2:26pm Thu 3 Apr 08

To someone, somewhere - Young Matt's friend is not lying. He is referring to number 4, which was very badly damaged. My good friend and 8 members of her family where in at the time, including 4 children. She was in her garage (which was destroyed)and her nephew was playing near the garage, they would have both been killed had it happened minutes earlier. Infact had it hit just a few foot in another direction they could have all been killed. It doesn't bear thinking about.

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kadsy, Biggin Hill says...
2:34pm Thu 3 Apr 08

I dont get people when i see them in the local papers saying "oohh stop Biggin hill airport getting bigger " Or "Im worried now because i live in biggin hill or im near the flight path".

The Airport has been there years,If you are worried MOVE HOUSE or maybe you shouldnt have moved near the airport in the first place.

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Marie, North Yorkshire says...
6:58pm Sat 24 May 08

I followed this incident at the time and have been googling to see how those affected have been faring since, but can find nothing.
I posted a link to this on a grief support site I am a member of, and people from all over the world, especially the USA, were praying and sending thoughts to all those affected.
Sometimes it seems that people - and in particular the media - never return to updates on tragedies such as this. For most people, this tragedy was forgotten about weeks ago. But for those it affected, the horror will remain with them for the rest of their life.
I would like to send loving thoughts and prayers to those who lost their home or part of their home, and those who lost a family member, if any of these people gets to read this.

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