Norfolk crash pilot was Netflix Plane Resurrection presenter Maurice Hammond who is now in critical condition after vintage aircraft smash kills passenger
Emergency services at scene in Norfolk
THE pilot of a historic US fighter plane that crashed in Suffolk, killing its passenger, is the star of a TV show dedicated to the restoration of old military aircraft.
Maurice Hammond, who presents Plane Resurrection on Netflix, is in a critical condition in hospital after his Mustang came down on Sunday near an airfield about 10 miles south of Norwich.
Emergency services flocked to the scene at 3.30pm on Sunday, after reports of a light aircraft crashing in flames.
The plane's passenger, a man in his 80s, was pronounced dead at the scene.
A Norfolk police spokesman said: “The passenger, a man in his 80s, was sadly pronounced dead at the scene whilst the pilot, a man who is in a serious condition, was airlifted to Norfolk and Norwich Hospital for treatment.”
Hammond, who is in his 50s, is an expert on vintage planes who has restored them for Plane Resurrection, a series shown on Netflix, the Discovery channel and the History channel in Australia, a family friend said.
He added the presenter has spent thousands of hours restoring and flying planes.
Charles Christian, who lives near the airfield, saw the aircraft- a P51 D Model Mustang, built in Texas in 1945 - before it crashed.
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He said: “I was taking the dogs for a walk and I was walking up the back field and the plane in question, I think this is a vintage Mustang, was flying in and coming into land quite normally and flew right over my head.
“It flew on toward the runway, which is about a quarter of a mile away, and disappeared behind the trees to land.
“Normally when that plane lands they cut off the engine so you sort of hear it backfiring, a spluttering noise, and then it grinds to a halt."
Mr Christian continued: “It was noticeable that this time there was the spluttering noise and then it stopped very quietly and then a few seconds later there was another bang, which I am guessing was the explosion.
A family friend said the presenter, pictured, has 'thousands of hours' of flying experience
“I couldn’t see it and I didn’t think there was anything untoward because they make those noises and I just assumed it was backfiring.
"There was no sign of anything happening, there wasn’t a column of smoke or anything."
A spokesman for the East of England Ambulance Service said: "At the scene there were two patients but sadly one of the patients was pronounced dead.
"The other patient has been airlifted to the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital for further care in a serious condition. Our thoughts are with the family and friends involved at this sad time."
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