Pilot nearly killed in plane crash made split-second decision to steer away ... trends now
A pilot made the quick decision to steer his plummeting plane away from bustling roads, pylons and an industrial as he fell 300ft from the sky.
When the engine of Mike Aubrey's two-seater plane stopped mid-air, he had the lives of others at the forefront of his mind - despite his being at risk.
As the plane engine failed to restart on April 4, 2023, the heroic pilot made the split decision to steer his aircraft away from civilians and towards a wooded area.
The plane smashed through trees before it eventually hit the ground, leaving the 58-year-old badly injured and fully conscious in the wreckage.
The pilot sustained broken ribs, which compromised his breathing, as well as a broken left ankle.
Mike Aubrey, 58 (pictured) made the split-second decision to steer his plummeting plane away from bustling roads, pylons and an industrial as he fell 300ft from the sky
The heroic pilot sustained a broken ankle and ribs - which comprised his breathing - after his quick decision meant his plane avoided a busy road (pictured: emergency services helping Mr Aubrey)
But thanks to the quick-responding London Air Ambulance service locating Mr Aubrey overhead near Damyns Hall Aerodrome in Aveley Road in Upminster, crews were able to reach him.
London Fire Brigade (LFB) and the London Ambulance Service Hazardous Area Response Team carefully extracted the injured pilot from the crumpled plane before transporting him to the nearby air ambulance.
Paramedics from the Air Ambulance and London Ambulance Service gave him general anaesthetic so they could perform a surgical procedure on a collapsed lung and realign his broken ankle.
Following the accident, Mr Aubrey was in a coma for three weeks.
He eventually returned home a month after the accident.
Recounting the life-changing incident, his wife Jo said it was 'remarkable' her husband had
