A COUPLE cheated death after a crippled plane hit their golf buggy, tearing its roof off.

Mary-Ann Brewster, 54, and her fiance, Alfred Leroy, 79, were on the 17th hole at De Kleine Zalze estate in Stellenbosch, near Cape Town, South Africa, when they saw the smoking plane heading towards them at low altitude.

Mrs Brewster, originally from Durham City, got out to take pictures, before realising it was about to crash land.

She jumped back in the buggy and Mr Leroy frantically pushed down the accelerator to try to steer it out of the plane's path.

But the wing of the stricken Harvard plane tore the buggy's roof off, sending the couple sprawling.

Mrs Brewster said: "We consider ourselves extremely fortunate. Luckily we were left with our heads on."

It happened on Wednesday morning and the couple were admitted to the Stellenbosch Medi-Clinic for observation.

Mr Leroy lost some blood and the two were treated for cuts and whiplash.

From her hospital bed, Mrs Brewster said: "It's been a full day. I've been speaking to everyone and Al and I just need to rest."

The plane was a former South African Air Force Harvard trainer based at the neighbouring Stellenbosch Flying Club.

Pilot Kevin Bell and his passenger, a visiting British Airways airline pilot, were unscathed.

A witness said: "The pilot was turning on to his final approach when his engine caught fire and quit.

He had to make a split-second decision and he put it down." Estate manager Rod Wakeford was full of praise for the pilot: "It is remarkable that he managed to put it down."

Mr Wakeford said the pilot had chosen the perfect hole because it has the most space.