A pilot has described how he fought for almost an hour in the air to free his plane’s jammed undercarriage.

What should have been a routine landing at Headcorn Aerodrome turned into an emergency for pilot Tim Boxall, 46, whose wife Tessa watched the drama unfold.

Mr Boxall, an agricultural contractor, from Headcorn, was returning to the aerodrome in his 27 year old Russian-build Yak52 after a visit to a private strip at Hythe when he realised he had a problem.

He said he tried "all sorts of things" to free the undercarriage, including a high speed dive from 2,000 feet, pulling up with 5.5G in an attempt to force it down.

Eventually, Mr Boxall landed in comparatively long grass which cushioned the landing.

When he climbed out, unhurt, to inspect the undercarriage, he found the remains of a large bird.

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