A man has described the terrifying moment a small airplane crashed just moments after taking off leaving three people, including a teenager, critically injured. 

Henry Labouchere was the first on the scene after the four-seater aircraft crashed when its wing clipped a tree at Langham Airfield at around 3.40pm on Tuesday (October 10).

Fire crews rushed to put out a fire caused by the crash, and air ambulances flew in from Cambridge and Norwich to rescue the victims.

North Norfolk News: Emergency services on the scene at Langham Airfield. Emergency services on the scene at Langham Airfield. (Image: Denise Bradley)READ MORE: Drone image shows plane wreckage after crash in north Norfolk

Two men and a woman were on board the plane. They remain in hospital with serious injuries which are not thought to be life-threatening.

North Norfolk News: A policeman at the scene of the plane crashA policeman at the scene of the plane crash (Image: Denise Bradley)

Mr Labouchere - an aircraft engineer and pilot - is the tenant of the airfield and oversees flying operations there. 

He said the group of three had flown the small aircraft from Nottingham that morning and had landed at Langham. 

North Norfolk News: File photo of Henry Labouchere File photo of Henry Labouchere (Image: Newsquest archive)He said they had met other family members and had gone out to lunch with them.

READ MORE: Police at scene of plane crash Langham Airfield in Norfolk

They were taking off on their return journey to Nottingham when the plane caught its wing on a tree in woodland next to the landing strip, and came down in trees just 10ft from where his truck was parked. 

North Norfolk News: Langham AirfieldLangham Airfield (Image: Denise Bradley)Mr Labouchere said the other family members, who the three had met, were watching on when the crash happened.

Mr Labouchere rushed over to the crash and pulled the three people out of the wreckage to safety. 

The crash site remains cordoned off and the Air Accident Investigation Branch has been informed. An investigation is under way.

North Norfolk News: A Socata TB-20 made by the French firm Aérospatiale, similar to the one which crashed at LanghamA Socata TB-20 made by the French firm Aérospatiale, similar to the one which crashed at Langham (Image: Pedro Aragão)Langham is a privately-run airfield on part of the site of the former RAF Langham airbase, which operated between 1940 and 1961. 

It was built in the opening months of the Second World War and was Norfolk’s most northerly wartime airfield.