Pilot, 76, walks away from plane crash with just minor injuries after deploying emergency PARACHUTE whichallowed his light aircraft to float to safety in a quiet Cheltenhamback garden *. Emergency services called to house in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire at 10.45am *. Pilot managed to deploy parachute shortly before the crash *. The light aircraft is believed to be worth around £500,000

From dailymail. A pilot has miraculously walked away with just minor injuries after deploying an emergency parachute which allowed his plane to float to safety and land in the back garden of a house. The plane landed in Mike and Karen Dean's back garden in Langdale Road, Hatherley, in Cheltenham, at 10.45am this morning. Luckily the pilot, a 76-year-old man from London, managedto deploy the parachute shortly before the crash.The pilot escaped with only minor injuries and was treatedat the scene by paramedics. Mr Dean, 55, and wife, 50, were in their house where thecrash happened. Mrs Dean, a project manager for Boots said: 'All I heard wasa big bang. I was in the house at the time and I managed to get downstairs.'I feel very lucky that it didn't go through my house. I was in the house at the time but I didn't see anything, I just heard a whirring sound. 'I'm quite in a bit of shock at the moment, you never think these things are going to happen to you. 'They have to work out how to get the plane out. I'm working from home today so I'm hoping to get back into the house a little bit later.' David Shatford, 23, a construction worker, was working on the house at the time and pulled the pilot to safety.He said: 'I saw the plane come down spinning over and then it crashed into the trees and I jumped off the scaffolding andmanaged to get the pilot out. 'He didn't say anything because he was very shaken.I was very scared at the time but managed to get him to safety.' Danella Mercati, 37, of WardenHill Road said: 'I was hanging up my washing at the time andI could hear the plane in the distance and suddenly it sounded like the plane exhaust had gone and it was blowing really loudly. 'As I looked up, I could see theplane release its parachute. It was coming directly to my garden but then the parachutedragged it away and it crashed in the next road. 'I thought it was going to crash into my garden, I was petrified. My heart still hasn't stopped racing.' A Gloucestershire Police spokesman said: 'The emergency services were called to a report of a plane coming down in the back garden of a house in LangdaleRoad in Cheltenham at approximately 10.45am today. 'The pilot, a 76-year-old man from London, has suffered minor injuries and is currentlybeing treated at the scene by paramedics. Lucky escape: The pilot was forced to deploy the parachute of the light-aircraft which floated to safety 'The homeowner was uninjured. Nearby houses have been evacuated as a precaution while the fire service make the scene safe.' THE PARACHUTE: HOW ITWORKS When the unexpected happens and a pilot is in trouble mid-flight, a BRS (ballistic recovery system) parachute can save lives. The parachute is attached tothe airframe via a harness. Once deployed, the canopy of the parachute will decelerate and stabilise the aircraft within seconds. When first activated, the parachute system is designed to pitch up the aircraft. This allows the system to use the aircraft’s wings and fuselage to help it slow down. In a very short time, the aircraft stabilises under the now opened canopy. The aircraft will descend withthe nose slightly lower than the tail. On reaching the ground, the nose wheel generally will touch down first. The scene of the crash is just2.5 miles from Gloucestershire Airport, in Staverton, near Cheltenham. The plane is believed to be worth around £500,000. Nearby homes were initially going to be evacuated as a precaution by the fire service but the area was deemed safesoon after. Markus Von Plunkett watched the crash unfold. He said on Facebook: 'Saw it with my own eyes, was a little wierd lookedlike the plane itself had a canopy.' Eyewitnesses from a local website directory also saw theplane coming down. One employee said: 'We saw the plane veer through the clouds in a strange movement,then disappear back into the clouds. We said "Blimey! It looks like that plane is in trouble!" 'A moment later, there was a large bang as the plane pulledits parachute and it disappeared behind the houses, in the direction of Bourneside School playing field.' Steven Pockett posted online: 'Wonder if the pilot was tryingfor emergency landing on Bournside playing field, the corner of Langdale Road is only just short of that. 'Was quite surreal watching the parachute come down. Hope the reports of only light injuries are precise.'