Paul Holmes escapes biplane crash

Paul Holmes

Broadcaster Paul Holmes was understood to have escaped uninjured when his vintage Boeing Stearman biplane flipped on landing near Hastings today.

The crash happened next to the Bridge Pa Aerodrome about 10.20am and golfer Mike Shaw, who saw the red and yellow aircraft flip, said it appeared Holmes had got out unharmed.

An ambulance was on the scene but no one appeared to have required treatment after the crash, less than a year after the same plane crash-landed at Ngamatea, about 60km away on the Napier-Taihape road.

Mr Shaw, one of several golfers who saw the crash from the fairways and greens of the 14th at the neighbouring Hastings Golf Club, said the plane had done about 10 "touch-and-go" landings before the crash.

"It looked like a tyre blew out, the wing dug in and it tipped over in the middle of the runway," Mr Shaw told Hawke's Bay Today.

There was no wind and "it's a beautiful day," he said.

Last January 14 the plane was seen circling several times over Ngamatea Station before crashing on what appeared to be an emergency landing, clipping a fence and skidding down an incline before coming to rest against another fence.

Holmes was reported to be shaken but unhurt, but did not comment after that incident.

- HAWKE'S BAY TODAY