Witnesses have spoken about the frightening moment they heard a model plane smash into a neighbour’s garden.

The aircraft belonged to a member of Barton’s Point Model Flying Club (BPMFC) and was being flown by a 23-year-old pilot, who had gone along to a camping event held at the Sheerness venue.

It came down in the back garden of Hollie Lane’s house, in Marsh View, Parklands Village, Minster.

Miss Lane, 24, had gone out not long before the incident, after posting a picture of her Staffordshire bull terrier Ooie sunbathing in the exact spot the plane crashed, just 22 minutes earlier.

Her aunt Wendy Norton, who lives two doors away, said it was lucky it didn’t hit a person as they would have been killed.

The 56-year-old said: “I was indoors decorating and I heard this almighty crash.

“I ran into the garden and my neighbours had started running out too and they were looking for the plane.

“It had smashed into Hollie’s garden. Thank God nobody was injured. God forbid if it had hit anybody.

“I was gobsmacked, the plane was huge – it was extremely frightening.”

Grandmother-of-one Mrs Norton said she phoned her niece, who immediately returned home.

The first thing she asked about was her father’s ashes, which are in her garden in an urn. Fortunately the plane missed it.

“I was gobsmacked, the plane was huge – it was extremely frightening” - Wendy Norton

Cyril Dean, who also lives in Marsh View, said there were lots of planes coming over at the time.

“It came about 4ft above the fence and narrowly missed my wife Lorraine’s head,” the 67-year-old said.

“It clipped the top of Hollie’s fence and went into her garden and smashed through the washing line. If someone had been sitting there they would have been dead.”

Jan Bruce, BPMFC secretary, apologised for what happened and said the majority of guests on the day were show pilots and ex-champions, so were very experienced.

The incident has been referred to the British Model Flying Association, which Mrs Bruce said has never happened in the club’s 26-year history.

It is thought the engine of the plane, which is worth thousands of pounds, cut out.
Mrs Bruce added: “It was an unfortunate accident.

“We are deeply sorry about it and for the damage to that property, which we did express to the home owner.

“The plane cut out in the air and it was unfortunate that when it cut out it was heading in that direction – the pilot did everything by the book.

“He was deeply shaken and in shock. It really affected him.”