A light aircraft plunged into the sea off Lee-on-the-Solent beach, leaving British beachgoers on the popular Hampshire getaway horrified.

The small plane struck the water at approximately 4:15pm on Saturday, coming down just feet from the shingle shoreline, with the pilot managing to escape the wreckage and survive.

Onlookers witnessed the aircraft descending unusually low before it crashed nose-first into the surf.

The pilot, who was flying solo, crawled from the downed plane into the water, where members of the public rushed to assist him onto nearby rocks.

Images from the scene showed the light aircraft upside down on the beach as incoming tides sloshed around its wings and fuselage.

Puzzled emergency service personnel could be seen looking on at the scene while a column of vehicles lined up along the waterfront with flashing lights.

Ellie Chapman, who was present when the incident unfolded, described the extraordinary moment: “I was by the beach looking at the free books when I heard a loud crashing sound from the rocks.”

She recounted how the aircraft was already submerged when she turned around, with its tail momentarily rising before dropping back down, indicating a nose-first impact.

British beachgoers were left horrified as a plane crashed onto a Hampshire beach

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“There was no noise from the aircraft beforehand, so the crash came without warning,” Ms Chapman told the Southern Daily Echo.

She watched as the pilot emerged from the wreckage into the water, with fellow beachgoers quickly moving to pull him to safety on the rocks, whilst others stood frozen in disbelief.

A host of emergency service branches converged on the seafront following the crash.

Hill Head Coastguard Rescue Team, Hamble Lifeboat, a coastguard helicopter, an air ambulance from Hampshire and Isle of Wight, South Central Ambulance Service, Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service, and Hampshire Police all responded to the incident.

‘There was no noise from the aircraft beforehand, so the crash came without warning’

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The pilot had already exited the aircraft by the time firefighters from Hightown, Fareham and Cosham stations arrived at the scene.

Paramedics assessed him and found him to be uninjured. He was said to have enjoyed a cup of coffee whilst crews dealt with the aftermath.

Fire crews worked to secure the plane and winch it from the water onto the beach, with the operation concluding shortly after 7pm.

Hampshire Police established a cordon around the crash site, with officers maintaining security of the aircraft until it can be recovered.

A host of emergency service branches converged on the seafront following the crash

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Councillor Stevyn Ricketts revealed he had been walking along the exact stretch of beach just half an hour before the crash occurred.

“I’m very glad nobody else was injured as it was busy due to the nice weather,” he said.

County councillor Graham Burgess noted the plane appeared relatively undamaged despite the incident, questioning how such a crash could have happened.

The Air Accidents Investigation Branch has been notified and will conduct an inquiry into the incident, which occurred near Solent Airport at Daedalus.

The aircraft owner’s insurers will coordinate with Gosport Borough Council to remove the plane.