Nigel Farage, UKIP candidate, injured in light plane crash

**cassy34** · 6th May 2010

The former UK Independence Party (UKIP) leader Nigel Farage has been injured in a plane crash in Northamptonshire.
The plane carrying two people crashed at Hinton in the Hedges Airfield at Steane, near Brackley, at 0759 BST.
Mr Farage was taken to hospital in Banbury with non-life threatening injuries, and the pilot was transferred to University Hospital in Coventry.
The plane came down an hour after polling stations opened for voting in the general election.
The pilot, who was trapped in the wreckage and had to be airlifted to hospital, is believed to be more seriously injured of the two.
Chris Adams, UKIP parliamentary candidate for Aylesbury, said: "Nigel was unconscious but he can talk.
"He's been coming in and out of consciousness and is now being X-rayed."
The aircraft was due to circle over Buckingham, where Mr Farage is standing as a candidate, trailing a banner, a UKIP spokesman said.
Mike Jose, Mr Farage's assistant, said they had previously flown the plane and banner over the constituency without any problems.
A UKIP spokesman said the aircraft had flown into the airfield from Winchester area and was taking off again when the accident happened
He added: "We've had unconfirmed reports that either the banner got snagged up, or there were cross-winds and it was unfamiliar airfield to the pilot."
But Mr Adams said he had spoken to an aviation expert who said the banner could not have got caught up in the tail fin, as some reports had suggested.
The airfield has now been closed and the crash is due to be investigated by the Air Accident Investigation Branch, Northamptonshire Police said.
East Midlands Ambulance Service and fire crews remain at the scene.
Mr Farage is a Member of the European Parliament, representing South East England.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/e...re/8664260.stm

**GTI** · 6th May 2010

Glad to hear he's OK. Although I don't agree with much of what UKIP stands for, I do love to see him rattling cages in the European Parliment.

**blaggard** · 6th May 2010

Yeah we definitely need someone over there who's not afraid to speak up, Daniel Hannan is the man though, his attack on Gordon Brown is the stuff of legend!