WEST HYTHE, England — A World War II Spitfire, its engine coughing and sputtering, pulled off a heart-stopping emergency landing in a farmer’s field in Kent on April 16, 2025, just days before the nation’s VE Day celebrations. The iconic aircraft, a Supermarine Spitfire IXT with the registration G-BMSB, came down hard among the crops off Lower Wall Road, leaving onlookers gaping and emergency crews scrambling.
The plane, a battle-scarred veteran that once roared over the Netherlands in 1944, lost power mid-flight, forcing the pilot to make a split-second call. With no airfield in sight, the pilot wrestled the aircraft to a bumpy but miraculous landing in the muddy field near West Hythe. Both the pilot and passenger, shaken but unscathed, climbed out of the cockpit as paramedics and fire crews raced to the scene. One of the two was treated on-site by South East Coast Ambulance Service medics, though neither needed a hospital trip.
Kent Fire and Rescue Service got the call at 7:25 p.m., dispatching two fire engines to the crash site. Firefighters worked fast to secure the aircraft, dousing any risk of fuel sparks from the battered plane, which had a mangled propeller and visible damage from the rough landing. By 9 p.m., the scene was safe, and the crews cleared out, leaving the Spitfire stranded in the field like a relic from a bygone war.
The aircraft, owned by Fly a Spitfire, a company based at Biggin Hill, had been airborne for reasons not yet clear, though some locals speculated it was practicing for the upcoming 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day. Fly a Spitfire issued a terse statement, confirming the pilot made a “precautionary landing” at a “non-airfield site” and stressing both occupants walked away unharmed. They offered no further details, leaving the cause of the engine failure a mystery for now.
The Air Accident Investigation Branch has already launched a probe to pinpoint why the Spitfire, a two-seater model built in 1943 for the Royal Canadian Air Force’s 441 Squadron, lost power. This particular plane, known as MJ627, has a storied past, having downed a Messerschmitt Me 109 over Arnhem just two days after entering service in September 1944. Its unexpected descent in Kent, narrowly missing power lines and trees, added another chapter to its long history.
Eyewitnesses described a surreal scene. Emily, a local driving home from shopping, spotted the Spitfire circling low over West Hythe around 7 p.m. “It was unusual,” she told reporters, assuming it was rehearsing for a VE Day fly-past. Minutes later, she stumbled across the crashed plane, its nose buried in the dirt, with the pilot and passenger already out and bystanders trudging across the field to help. She alerted the farmer, who opened a gate to let emergency services through.
The crash, coming just before Britain’s planned VE Day commemorations, sent a jolt through the community. The nation is set to mark the 80th anniversary with a massive fly-past, including Spitfires, Hurricanes, and the Red Arrows, starting at 1:45 p.m. on April 18. Whether this Spitfire was meant to join the display remains unconfirmed.
For now, the aircraft sits in the field, its wings glinting under the Kent sky, as investigators comb through the wreckage for answers. The pilot’s quick thinking spared lives, but the incident is a stark reminder of the risks tied to keeping these historic warbirds aloft. The investigation’s findings are expected in the coming weeks.