Former UKIP Leader Injured in Plane Crash

MEP Nigel Farage is one of the more prominent members of the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP), and was party leader until last fall. He has become well-known outside the UK for his rhetorically vigorous speeches on the floor of the European Parliament, in particular the one directed at EU president Herman Van Rompuy that got him fined €3,000.

Today is election day in the UK, and Mr. Farage has been injured in a private plane crash while staging a campaign stunt. Based on the BBC story below, his injuries are not serious:

Nigel Farage Injured in Plane Crash on Election Day

Mr Farage’s agent Chris Adams gives details about the accident

The former UK Independence Party (UKIP) leader Nigel Farage has been injured in a plane crash in Northamptonshire.

The plane carrying two people crashed at Hinton-in-the-Hedges Airfield at Steane, near Brackley, at 0759 BST.

Mr Farage is being treated at John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford and the pilot at University Hospital, Coventry.

The aircraft came down an hour after polling stations opened for general election voting and it is thought it was caused by the trailing banner.

A spokesperson for UKIP said “it was unlikely Mr Farage would be discharged from hospital today”.

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He said: “He (Mr Farage) suffered facial cuts and bruises and injuries to his chest and there might be some damage to his ribs.

“I doubt he’s going to be there for the (election) results.”

Chris Adams, UKIP parliamentary candidate for Aylesbury, earlier said Mr Farage had been “coming and in and out of consciousness” and had been X-rayed.

The pilot, who was trapped in the wreckage and had to be airlifted to hospital, is believed to be the more seriously injured of the two.

We’ve had unconfirmed reports that either the banner got snagged up, or there were cross-winds and it was an unfamiliar airfield to the pilot

UKIP spokesman

The aircraft was due to circle over Buckingham, where Mr Farage is standing as a candidate, trailing a banner, a UKIP spokesman said.

Mike Jose, Mr Farage’s assistant, said they had previously flown the plane and banner over the constituency without any problems.

Mr Farage and the pilot were lucky to escape serious injury, police said.

Surveying the mangled metal of the aircraft, Det Ch Insp Martin Kinchin, of Northamptonshire Police, said: “Looking at the wreckage behind me, I think you can make your own judgment as to how lucky they were.

“The people inside the plane were lucky to come out with not very serious injuries.”

The plane had been preparing to land on the concrete runway when it crashed, officers believe.

Hat tip: heroyalwhyness.