A40 plane crash: teenage passenger says he and family are 'very lucky' to have survived

Jo Pocock via AP

A teenager saved from the burning wreckage of a plane that crashed onto a dual carriageway has thanked his rescuers and said he and his family are “very lucky people”.

Jack Moore, 19, and his sister Billie Manley, 16, were being flown by their uncle, pilot Stuart Moore, when the light aircraft hit overhead power cables on Sunday morning.

The plane then crashed down onto the A40 near Abergavenny, Wales, with the three people trapped onboard. Thanks to the bravery of motorists Daniel Nicholson, 46, and Joel Snarr, 35, who dragged them from the wreckage, all three survived with only minor injuries.

The 19-year-old described their survival as “absolutely unbelievable” in a Facebook message posted just hours after the drama unfolded.

“Absolutely unbelievable that me and my family have walked away from this, just want to say thank you to the passers by that helped us at the scene and also the emergency services,” he wrote.

“A lot of untrue stories that have been reported by various outlets but the main is that no one was seriously hurt.

“Thanks everyone for the messages, really appreciate it,” he added, explaining he was “not quite up to replying to everyone at the moment”.

The 19-year-old football fan said it was "absolutely unbelievable" that he, his sister Billie and uncle Stuart had survived the dramatic crash
Facebook

“We are very lucky lucky people.”

The family had been on their way to watch Manchester United play Cardiff City football club when the near-tragic accident took place.

The teenager’s uncle Stuart had taken off from Abergavenny Airfield in South Wales to fly to Old Trafford for the match when the plane allegedly clipped overhead rail lines, snapping them and sending them crashing towards the ground.

The aircraft also snapped an electricity pole as it plummeted to the ground, flipping on its back in the middle of the road, according to Mr Nicholson and Mr Snarr, who arrived on the scene soon after.

Mr Snarr, a former army bomb disposal officer, told the Sun that his only thought as he rushed towards the “inferno” was: “Is anyone going to be alive?”

He and shop manager Mr Nicholson pulled the pilot and his two passengers from the wreckage just seconds before the entire aircraft was engulfed in flames.

"The plane literally burst into flames in front of me and it had landed upside down,” explained Mr Nicholson.

"I screeched to a halt, and didn't hesitate – I could see there were people in there.”

Rail passengers travelling at the time said they could smell burning and some reports suggest the highly charged wires were scattered across the tracks.

“The guard said that a light aircraft has crashed into some power cables and the cables have hit the train,” said BBC journalist Rhodri Tomos, whose train from Cardiff to Manchester had to make an emergency stop just before Abergavenny.

“We could smell some burning and we were at a stop for about 15 minutes.”

It is the second time in three years in which a light aircraft crashed on the same stretch of road.

Three people sustained minor injuries when a four-seater Piper Warrior II came down in 2016.

Friends and well-wishers have responded to Mr Moore’s Facebook update by expressing relief at the trio’s rescue.

“Glad you’re all safe and sound brother, thankful you’re all okay,” commented one friend.

“Unbelievable Jack, you've all got guardian angels!!! So glad you're ok!” wrote another.

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