Weston Hills business owner was first to help pilot of crashed F-15

A Weston Hills business owner was the first on the scene to help the pilot of the stricken F-15 which crashed in Weston Hills on Wednesday afternoon.

Brian Jex, owner of Dennis Jex agricultural engineers based in Austendyke Road, saw the pilot parachuting to safety after his aircraft, believed to cost around £35million, spiralled out of control and burst into flames on impact close to the village primary school and homes.

Mr Jex said he and two workers walked across the field opposite the business’s workshop to check on the pilot and were amazed to see he had escaped unscathed apart from a minor scratch on one hand.

Mr Jex said: “I had been standing in the yard watching three planes flying around and then I saw the parachute coming down. I shouted to the two lads who were in the workshop to come and have a look.

“When we walked out into the yard a bit we could see the smoke from the crash and realised that the pilot was coming down close to where we were so we walked over to meet him. We could see two parachutes.

“When we got to him we asked if the other was his mate and he said it was his seat. I asked if he was alright and he said he thought so. I lent him my phone and I suppose he called base to let them know what had happened.

“He asked me if I could see any blood on him, but there wasn’t any.

“He had an extremely lucky escape. He literally had a scratch on one hand. He didn’t say much, he was very quiet.

“We asked him if he needed anything and he asked if we could help fold his parachute, which we did and walked back with him to the road.

“The police were already there by then and the ambulance came and checked him over. Then a big black military helicopter landed in the same field and took him away.”

A spokesman for RAF Lakenheath, Suffolk, where the F-15 was flying from said on Thursday aftermoon that the pilot had been released from hospital and is “in fine spirits”.

Children at Weston Hills Primary School, close to the crash scene, made him a “get well soon” card and have received bravery certificates from Lincolnshire Police’s Bobby Bear, who visited to reassure them after the accident.