Cow crash Devon pilot is an online star

A DEVON pilot has become a worldwide star after his stricken aircraft, carrying a much-decorated Second World War air ace, hit a cow while making an emergency landing in a Devon field.

More than 250,000 people have so far logged on to see a video of the bizarre incident that left pilot Rob Wotton, his 84-year-old passenger — and the cow — unhurt.

Mr Wotton, 43, a commercial pilot and flying instructor based at Exeter International Airport who lives in Dunkeswell, said it was the first cow he had hit in 22 years of flying.

The animal was sent flying by the impact, rolling across the meadow before regaining its feet and continuing its grazing.

The whole episode at Dunkeswell Airfield, near Honiton, was captured on an in-plane video which is now proving one of the most popular choices on internet video-sharing site YouTube.

The cow wandered into the path of a vintage two- seater Tiger Moth, which was struggling to make an emergency landing.

As the plane sped along the ground, a wing caught the cow, which sent the animal rolling over.

Initially, there was some question whether the film was genuine or a hoax.

But there turns out to be no doubt because crash investigators have confirmed the incident really did happen.

A report released by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch says the accident happened when the 65-year-old plane lost power shortly after take-off from Dunkeswell Airfield, near Honiton, one afternoon in September.

Mr Wotton, who runs Ace Flight offering training and plane trips, said he had only just taken off from Dunkeswell with a front-seat passenger — a war veteran from Yeovil who has not been named — when the plane suffered engine trouble.

He said: "I had to put her down straight away. I spotted a likely field and brought her down.

"I saw the cows in the field. They were all on my right hand side — except for one which was away to my left."

Narrowly missing a fence, the aircraft touched down with a bump.

Mr Wotton said: "It was then that the silly cow decided to sprint across to join her mates on the other side of the field.

"I clipped her and she went rolling away. But she seemed unhurt and got up and carried on grazing. The aircraft was very slightly damaged.

"My passenger was a Second World War veteran and much decorated airman. He was not perturbed in the least. He has seen much worse than a cow strike.

"I have to say it is the first cow I have ever hit in 22 years' flying and I think I may paint a cow on the side of the plane to mark the event."

The AAIB probe revealed: "The aircraft cleared a sturdy barbed wire fence but, as the aircraft touched down, a cow ran under and struck the left wing, causing substantial damage to the aircraft.

"The cow was apparently uninjured. The aircraft rolled to a halt and the two occupants, who were uninjured, vacated the aircraft normally."

On the video, which Mr Wotton said had been placed with YouTube by someone else, a faint bang can be heard as the cow is struck and sent tumbling through the air and across the field behind the plane.

On coming to a halt, the pair are seen to laugh and joke, with one commenting: "Oh well, we are down in one piece."

The other then asks: "What was that?" but the other man replies "I don't know" before they burst into laughter.

An examination of the plane revealed later that corrosion debris in the carburettor probably resulted in a blockage which caused the engine to lose power.