Pilot tells of crash escape (From Witney Gazette)

Pilot tells of crash escape

6:08pm Thursday 17th January 2008 in Witney By Ellie Simmonds

A PILOT who crashed in woodland near Oxford has described the dramatic moment when a routine flight turned into a disaster which left him fighting for his life.

Father-of-three Tom Miller, from Chipping Norton, thanked the rescue teams who saved his life and added: "I was incredibly lucky."

The crash left Mr Miller with a catalogue of injuries, including a collapsed lung, several broken ribs, a smashed elbow, a broken hand, severe burns to his feet, cuts to his face, extensive bruising and hypothermia.

He was left lying about ten metres down a steep slope near the burned-out wreckage of his twin-engine plane in Wytham Woods, near Oxford, after the crash just days before Christmas.

Speaking at his home, Mr Miller said he believed he was flying at about 130mph when he crashed in freezing fog.

He said: "I was incredibly lucky. I came down and went through the wooded area without the fuselage hitting any trees - if it had, I would not be here.

"When the plane eventually came to a rest it was upside down and the whole fuselage where I was seated was destroyed by fire.

"Somehow I got out of it, but whether I was thrown out, fell out or my adrenaline made me get out, I don't know. I'm just grateful to be here to tell my story.

"I was on a fairly steep embankment and I rolled away from the burning wreckage."

The 52-year-old was hailed a hero after it was thought he had deliberatly crashed in the woods to avoid hitting homes.

But Mr Miller has lost all memory of the crash - which happened during a flight on December 19, from Plymouth to Oxford Airport, at Kidlington - except for a hazy moment in the woods.

He said: "Unfortunately, I don't remember anything about it.

"The only memory I have of it was I regained consciousness to know that I had crashed and the plane was on fire behind me, which was not a very nice feeling. I must have then gone back into unconsciousness.

"Next I knew I opened my eyes and saw the lights on the roof in the hospital and just felt incredibly lucky."

Mr Miller, who works for Kidlington-based company AirMed, had been overwhelmed with messages of support from friends and family since he left Oxford's John Radcliffe Hospital on Saturday.

He is expecting to be interviewed by air accident investigators next week.

Mr Miller, who lives with his wife Johanna, 49, and their children - Charlotte, 26, Sam, 23, and Anneka, 20 - said he wanted to thank Oxford air traffic control, the crew of a passing JCB helicopter, the crew of the Solent Coastguard helicopter, who found him, the emergency services, Oxford University's estate workers and hospital staff.

He said: "I owe them my life. I was very unlucky to have the accident in the first place but it seemed that everything that happened after that was designed to help me escape and be able to be here to tell the tale."