Low flying plane performing aerobatic stunts shocks residents in Norfolk market town

The stunt plane over Attleborough on Saturday <9/6/18> night. Picture: ARCHANT (Image: Archant)

What was described to be a small vintage plane was seen nose-diving around Mill Lane in Attleborough on Saturday at around 9.20pm.

One resident, Jonathan Shortman, 30, said he was inside his family home when he heard a loud racket outside. 'It sounded like it was in trouble,' he said. 'I came outside and saw an old-fashioned, vintage looking plane.'

Mr Shortman was amazed to see a plane roaring across the sky, performing nose dives close to where he stood, taking off from the ground vertically and spinning in the air. 'They were stunts you wouldn't expect to see above a residential area,' he added. 'It went on for about five, six minutes.'

He said his neighbours had come out of their houses to watch the unusual display, and his mother had called his sister out of the house as a precaution. Mr Shortman said the stunts were risky, and estimated that the plane may have been as low as 50ft above the ground at one point. He called the police at around 9.22pm and shortly after the phone call he said the plane had left.

'At that time of night when it's getting darker you wouldn't expect anything like that, it wasn't even the right weather conditions for it either because of the visibility. 'It was quite nerve-racking, we had to keep our eye on it all the time. It didn't look like it was in control.

'Our neighbours dogs were really distressed as well.

'My father said nothing like that has ever happened before, not that I can remember either.'

Witnesses took to Facebook to find out more about the unusual display, with some speculating it was practicing for a wedding taking place nearby.

One person commented: 'Surely it was a safety issue over residents houses?'

Do you have any information about the incident? E mail taz.ali@archant.co.uk