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THIS is the dramatic moment a plane was forced to ditch into the sea at the Herne Bay Airshow in Kent after the pilot lost control in mid air.

The single-seater light aircraft landed in the water at around 3.30pm today just an hour after the RAF's Red Arrows performed a stunning display.

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The plane is hauled to the beach and inspected for damageCredit: Craig Shepheard
The plane was forced to ditch in to the water after the pilot lost control
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The plane was forced to ditch in to the water after the pilot lost control and spectators rushed to the pilots aid
The plane flipped over when it came into contact with the water according to eyewitness reports
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The plane flipped over when it came into contact with the water according to eyewitness reports

People rushed onto the beach to help pull the aircraft out of the water concerned for  the pilot's safety.

One onlooker told : "It just went into the water from a fairly low height and then flipped over. Then the rescue helicopter arrived."

The coast guard and an air ambulance attended the scene as the show was put on hold.

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No one is thought to have been injured in the crash which occurred after the pilot lost control and plunged into the water.

Another onlooker said: "It was flying quite low and I thought 'he looks like he's trying to land on the water'.

"Then the nose hit the surface of the sea and the plane flipped right over with the pilot upside down."

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The coastguard attend the scene of the accidentCredit: Craig Shepheard
A helicopter attended the scene after the crash and an area of the beach was cordoned off by police as the aircraft was retrieved
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A helicopter attended the scene after the crash and an area of the beach was cordoned off by police as the aircraft was retrieved
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The plane seems to have escaped the crash relatively unscathedCredit: Craig Shepheard

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Concerned spectators rushed to the pilot's aid after he lost control of his plane in mid air

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Emergency services rushed to the scene and an area of the beach was cordoned off for a helicopter to landCredit: Ferrari Press
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No one is thought to have been injured in the crash which occurred around 3.30pm todayCredit: Ferrari Press
Herne Bay Airshow
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Eyewitnesses described seeing the plane flip over after it landed in the waterCredit: Ferrari Press

A section of the beach was cleared to allow a coastguard helicopter to land which remained cordoned off as they fish the plane out of the sea.

A Kent Police spokesman said that the Air Accidents Investigation Branch has been informed.

Safety at air shows was  stepped up in the wake of the Shoreham air disaster last year, where 11 people were killed and 16 injured when a Hawker Hunter aircraft plummeted into a busy road.

The Herne Bay Airshow is the biggest of its kind in Kent and regularly pulls in huge crowds.

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