Five people were killed when a light aircraft crashed onto a housing estate in Kent on Sunday afternoon.

The five victims were the aircrew and passengers on the executive jet which crashed into the end of a row of houses and exploded.

But, miraculously, no one living on the estate was killed or seriously injured.

It happened at Farnborough, a village in north west Kent near Biggin Hill Airport. Youngsters were playing football on the sports field. Children were playing in their gardens. Families were settling down to watch TV.

Then at 2.40pm terror fell out of the sky.

~ 'It was like a bomb going off' - eyewitness accounts and more pictures >>>

The twin-engine Citation jet had just taken off from Biggin Hill, bound for France. As it tried to gain height the crew reported vibrations and warning lights and asked for permission to return to the airfield. It was too late.

The aircraft swept low over the sports field, its engine roaring. One of the lads looked up into the faces of the two pilots and said the plane was so close he could have hit it with his football.

The Biggin Hill control tower received a final message: "We're going down."

A woman nearby saw the plane start to climb only to drop suddenly behind some trees. There was a roar like a bomb going off as the plane exploded. A huge cloud of smoke rose from the scene.

The plane destroyed one of five houses clustered in Romsey Close, off Broadwater Gardens. Amazingly, there was no one in at the time. The couple who live there were on holiday in Spain. They are now returning - but have no home left to go to.

The garage of the neighbouring house was also destoyed. Only moments earlier, children had been playing in the garden. A neighbour saw their mother flee from the house, clutching the children in her arms.

Other neighbours ran for safety as a fireball erupted, followed by a billowing cloud of smoke. The area was drenched in aviation fuel.

Fire appliances and ambulances tore to the scene. Police set up an exlusion zone. The fire was quickly under control and fire and rescue squads were able to go in and look for survivors. They knew they would not find any.

The jet, along with the house, had been blown apart by the explosion.

Kent Messenger Group photographer Grant Falvey, who was given access to the scene, said: "It was horrendous. I have never seen anything like it in 17 years as a press photographer. The plane and the house are in pieces.

"There was no hope for the people on board the plane. Had the family who live in the house been there at the time they would be dead too. As it is, they have lost everything."

Did you see the crash or take any pictures? Email editor.kentonline@thekmgroup.co.uk