A PLANE has crashed as it was taking off from Wycombe Air Park this afternoon, police have said.

An air ambulance took one man to Wexham Park Hospital in Slough and another suffered minor injuries.

The private light aircraft crashed about 1.45pm next to a runway at the aerodrome in Booker, Great Marlow, police said.

There were four men and one woman on board in total.

Fire crews from Marlow, High Wycombe attended and urban and search rescue from Aylesbury were initially called out.

Incident Commander John Franklin from High Wycombe fire station said:

“It's rolled, it's cartwheeled and lost its wing, left its wing behind and the fuselage is in another field.

“They are incredibly lucky to have got out of it.”

He said it had been a long time since having to attend such an incident.

Air park Manager Tim Orchard said the aircraft had gone through a hedge and the passengers were all 'walking wounded'.

The Free Press understands the passengers were heading to the Isle of Man for the TT motor racing event this weekend.

A police statement read: “Thames Valley Police attended Booker Airfield in High Wycombe at 1.45pm today after a light aircraft crashed.

“A private aircraft carrying five people was in the process of taking off when it came down in a field next to a run way.

“Two men suffered minor injuries in the collision and one was airlifted to hospital for treatment.”

The Air Accident Investigation Unit are looking into the crash, the Department for Transport have confirmed.