A plane crash in a farmer's field that left the pilot with "serious" injuries may have been caused by "fuel system issues," an investigation has concluded.

A Just SuperStol, G-SSTL aircraft had to make a forced landing after the plane's engine lost power moments after taking off from Pauncefoot Farm in Romsey on July 4, 2024.

The 67-year-old pilot, who had 315 hours of flight experience on record at the time, brought the plane down into a field 45 degrees left of the runway.

In a report into its investigation, the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) said that the aircraft "rolled into a ditch and through a hedge" as it touched down.

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The report said that the engine lost power after takeoff, regained it briefly, and then lost power again.

The plane, manufactured in 2016, first landed near a drainage ditch, where its landing gear collapsed.

It then passed through a hedgerow, coming to a stop approximately 100 metres away from the edge of the runway, diagonally left of the runway centre line.

The aircraft's flight path, according to the AAIB's investigation.The aircraft's flight path, according to the AAIB's investigation. (Image: AAIB) The AAIB noted that the pilot was left with "serious "injuries and was trapped in the wreckage after the crash, which "severely damaged" the aircraft.

The aircraft's Permit to Fly had recently been revalidated after a period of non-flying, during which various maintenance tasks were performed, including the replacement of the fuel system pipes.

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The AAIB report states: "During the impact the engine had been bent slightly downward in its mounts and one of the propeller blades had broken at its root and bent rearwards.

"The aircraft had broken through a substantial hazel bush in the hedge row denting the leading edge of the left wing and causing the aircraft to rotate through approximately 90 degrees.

"The exact cause of the loss of power could not be determined but may have been due to a combination of fuel system installation features which did not fully conform to the aircraft and engine bay fuel system installation advice in the build manual or system recommendations more recently published in the Rotax Service Bulletin."

Several road closures were put in place around the farm to "allow access for emergency services vehicles," Hampshire fire confirmed at the time.