Former RAF pilot 'lucky to be alive' after crashing replica German WW2 Luftwaffe plane

When former RAF Phantom pilot Barry Conway’s wife said that one of his home-made planes should be called “Dignitas”, he only took it as a joke.

He had no idea that a single error in one of his prized-creations would almost cost him his life.

With not a single aviation accident in his 60 years of flying, Mr Conway, from Carterton, Wilts., had taken to the skies on Sunday afternoon in his hand built replica German WW2 Luftwaffe plane.

But disaster struck when the 80 year old began his descent.

Aiming to guide the Focke Wulf FW 190 towards a local airstrip, around 30 miles away from his home, he instead mistook the markings made by a tractor in a crop field for a runway, causing the aircraft to flip on landing.

His friend and fellow member of the Light Aircraft Association, Dudley Pattison said the pilot is "very lucky" to be alive after he was rescued by firefighters and taken to Great Western Hospital with a cracked vertebrae in his neck and back.

Mr Pattison, who has known Mr Conway for 25 years, said: "The ruts made by the tractor wheels made the plane flip over onto its back.

"The sun was in his eyes, probably. He can't understand how he made the mistake. He's a very experienced pilot.

"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."

The duo had also paired up in 2000 to win the Schneider Trophy Air Race - a 100 mile mid-air race, famous for its incredible speeds and intricate manoeuvring.

It took Mr Conway, who has also worked as a commercial pilot, 10 years to build his beloved replica Focke Wulf aircraft in a single “cramped” garage at home, said Mr Pattison, 76.

Finishing the half-scale German fighter plane at the turn of the Century he had 200 hours under his belt when he crashed.

The now destroyed small aircraft can cruise at 120 knots and was built from American plans - it is the first of two planes Mr Conway has built from scratch, the second is his own design.

He had planned to take the second aircraft, which has four jets, to Wales this week for test runs but had to cancel the trip.

“He designed and built it himself in a single garage at home, it was really cramped, he’s a very very clever man,” Mr Pattison said, adding: “His wife calls it Dignitas.”

Meanwhile, the damaged Focke-Wulf has been removed from the field and taken to a hangar awaiting inspection but Mr Pattison believes it’s a “write-off”.

“Somebody will buy the wreckage and probably rebuild it but it’s not rebuildable commercially. It’s a bit tough but the main thing is that he got out of it alive,” he told the Telegraph.

He added that Mr Conway was conscious and chatting as firefighters cut him from the cockpit and is expected to be released from hospital in the next two to three days.

Mr Pattison said: "His two sons have been in to see him. He is in good spirits, but will certainly be in a neck brace for a while."

Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service said crew members used hydraulic cutting equipment to cut the pilot free.

They were on the site for just over an hour using foam to stem the flow of the potentially-hazardous aviation fuel.

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

Wayne Presley, of the fire service, 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 with a day like today fire can spread."

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."