A PILOT was being treated in hospital last night after the light aircraft he was flying crashed in a potato field near a main road and burst into flames.

A PILOT was being treated in hospital last night after the light aircraft he was flying crashed in a potato field near a main road and burst into flames.

The 59-year-old man was taken to Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge after the T33 twin-seater jet trainer aircraft he was flying somersaulted to the ground after clipping a tree.

Emergency services were called to the potato field near the A505 at Duxford, Cambridgeshire to reports of a huge explosion.

A police spokesman said: “A 59-year-old man was taken to Addenbrooke's Hospital after a privately owned plane crashed into three pieces, two of which set on fire.

“A second man was treated at the scene but was not taken to hospital.”

It is thought the plane had taken off from the nearby airfield, which is home to the Imperial War Museum's aviation museum.

Paramedics said they were called to reports of a “huge explosion” shortly after 2pm.

“The plane came down approximately a mile to the west of the airfield,” said an ambulance service spokeswoman.

“Witnesses reported the two-seat jet trainer clipping a tree before somersaulting into the ground and catching on fire.

“Astonishingly, the two-man crew escaped serious injury and managed to get out of the wreckage of the plane themselves.

“The men, who are both middle-aged, were assessed by a doctor on the air ambulance but only one went to hospital.”

Crews from Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue were called at around 2.20pm to reports that an aircraft had crashed in the potato field by the A505.

Firefighters assisted crews from Duxford airfield to make the plane safe.

A spokesperson for the Imperial War Museum at Duxford, said: “We can confirm there was an incident and the emergency services were called, who then dealt with the incident.”

Department of Transport experts were investigating the cause of the accident, the police spokeswoman added.