AN elderly man walked away with minor injuries after the plane he was piloting nosedived into a field.

'Flying Vet' Maurice Kirk needed hospital treatment following the crash in Lower Durston.

The Air Accidents Investigation Branch has released a report into the incident in the early evening of May 26 this year.

Experienced pilot Mr Kirk, 76, had only recently acquired the 14-year-old GY201 Amateur Built, G-BEBR light aircraft.

The plane came down after it misfired at about 400 feet and did not produce sufficient power to enable him to land back on the strip.

The AAIB report added: "He therefore initiated a field landing and as he approached the field from the east his vision was impaired by the setting sun.

"He reported that he attempted to select full flap but found the flap handle jammed.

"He then 'inadvertently' pulled back on the control column, which resulted in the aircraft stalling near to the ground and landing heavily."

The wing and landing gear were damaged during the impact.

Despite his injuries, Mr Kirk managed to get out of the aircraft on his own.

The AAIB report said: "The pilot confirmed that there was sufficient fuel on the aircraft but did not know what caused the misfire and loss of power.

"He also reported that during his examination of the aircraft after the accident, a plastic torch was found within the port wing 'jammed in the flap and aileron mechanism'."

Mr Kirk said an engineer's torch had been left in the wing during construction, jamming the aileron and flap controls.

He said: "There I was with a dead donkey, out of height, airspeed and ideas - all at the same time.

"The subtlety in this, my 16th aircraft engine failure - experienced incidentally in many strange places from around the world in my beloved WW2 D-Day cub, registration G-KIRK - is that in front of me was a 10-foot thick earth hedge below me at an indicated closing airspeed of 60 knots.

"I pulled up to live, well, for at least a few more micro, nay nana seconds, in the hope the wing would not stall on a minimum airspeed needed, without full flap, to get over the hedge and immediately land.

"Despite a clean windscreen for three dimension assessment and instruments presumed accurate I let the classic error creep in - 'Look after thine airflow lest the ground come up and smite thee'."

Mr Kirk had been due to make a court appearance the following day but was excused as he was still in hospital.