THREE Islanders cheated death when their aircraft made an emergency landing as it travelled back to Jersey on Saturday afternoon.

Donna Abel (30), step-daughter Eloise Abel (14) and pilot Brian Heath dodged power lines, pylons and buildings before crash-landing in a field after their plane lost all power. The four-seater plane got into difficulty just over an hour after taking off from Carmarthen Airport, in Wales, at 2 pm.

Mr Heath, Jersey’s chief probation officer, guided the single-propellor Cessna aircraft through a maze of hazards before crashing in a field full of cows near Exeter. All three of them – and their pet cat – were unhurt in the crash.

The drama unfolded as the three were making their way back from Carmarthen after buying a Bengal silver storm kitten as a birthday present for Eloise’s sister. Eloise, who lives in England, but was in Jersey visiting her family in St Brelade, said that the pilot made a Mayday call after the plane started to lose power.

• Picture: Elouise and Donna Abel, who were in the plane that made a forced landing after they collected Diesel, a 13-week-old Bengal cat. Picture by Richard Wainwright (00585895)