Pilot Iain Stingemore has shared the terrifying moment when he 'couldn't breathe or see' as his plane crashed into a field, only to be helped by none other than Paul Hollywood.

Mr Stingemore had just taken off from Manston Airport in Kent shortly after 12pm on Tuesday when his cockpit's roof snapped off, forcing him to take drastic action. The 58-year-old was a few hundred feet in the air and recalls a mere 15 seconds between the malfunction and the plane crashing into a nearby field off Thorne Hill, Minster.

However, Great British Bake Off legend Paul Hollywood, who was mid-flying lesson in his aircraft with Polar Helicopters, landed nearby and dashed over to help. "Paul Hollywood was having a flying lesson and he checked to see if I was okay," the gas engineer told KentOnline.

"It wasn’t how I planned to meet him but he checked to see if I was okay. I said to him: 'I don’t suppose you planned on doing this on your lesson?' The whole of Manston rushed over to recover the plane and help.

"Thankfully, I walked away due to my skill and training." Five fire engines arrived at the scene following reports of an 'emergency aircraft landing'.

Mr Stingemore continued: "The owner of the house next door rushed out to help. He bought a box of rusty tools over to help get the plane over to the airfield."

Luckily, Mr Stingemore escaped with just a small graze on his leg and 'damaged pride'. "I was about to fly back to Stoke in Medway," he said. "I was flying out of Manston, turned right to cross the road, the canopy came off and I had about 15 seconds before I landed.

"I was at about a couple of hundred feet and climbing. I couldn’t breathe or see anything." Mr Stingemore remains undeterred by yesterday’s crash.

Only the next day did he plan to fly another plane, as the one which crashed on Tuesday was a complete write-off. Looking back on the incident, he added: "It takes you a few seconds before you realise there is no way out. Thankfully, I was very well-trained, didn’t panic, and you have to set the plane up to get it as flat and level as possible.

"It could’ve been very different. A lot of people panic in this situation." The fire service said it was called to reports of 'an emergency aircraft landing' shortly before 12.30pm.

A spokesperson said: "Five fire engines attended, with crews taking precautionary safety checks and making the area safe."