Golf club members stunned

Members of Westhoughton Golf Club, in Bolton, Greater Manchester, were amazed when a pilot landed his Steen Skybolt sports bi–plane on the 14th hole's 356–yard par–4 fairway.

And as it turned out that fairway had been redesigned with a big hump during World War Two in order to prevent the German Luftwaffe landing there!

The pilot suffered engine failure while practising acrobatic manoeuvres, and he was forced to land the two-seater plane in the middle of the private–members' golf course.

He said: "I had just come out of a rolling manoeuvre when the engine started to run really roughly".

"It was shaking and not getting full power so I called the airport and went to fly back.

"As I was flying over Bolton Wanderers stadium it was becoming clear I wouldn't make it. There was not enough power to maintain level flight and I was coming down.

"I put out a mayday call and tried to stay away from built up areas. I was looking for a field to land in.

"When I was struggling to find something the golf course appeared off my right wing and I decided it was my best shot!

"It was quite a hair-raising moment!"

Fortunately the plane just 'skipped' over the anti-Luftwaffa bump and rolled to a stop on the 14th fairway.

Mr West joked: "It must known it was an English plane!

"A lot of golfers came over to make sure I was okay and there were a lot of shaking hands."

Golf course - just what can't they do! 

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