The identity of the hero helicopter pilot who rescued a woman from the wreckage of her crashed stunt plane has been revealed.

Flight instructor Dominic Underdown told The Argus he was the mystery man who landed and gave emergency first aid at the crash site before flying away.

Now he has asked for the woman, whose name he never found out, to get in touch.

Mr Underdown, 35, a former nurse from Brighton Road, Lancing, feared the worst when he received a distress call on Sunday morning then spotted her mangled Pitt S-1S biplane upside down in a field near Chichester.

He said: "From 1,000 feet it looked an absolutely complete mess. It was horrendous. We thought the pilot had probably died."

Mr Underdown had been flying nearby with student pilot Matt Beeke, 36, from Reigate, Surrey. He said: "We had flown from Redhill to the Isle of Wight and were on our way back.

"When we reached the South Coast and changed our radio signal to pick up air traffic control at Goodwood Airfield we heard this message that a plane had gone down."

The woman had suffered difficulties shortly after taking off from Goodwood and crash-landed in a field in nearby Drayton.

Mr Underdown said: "We made our way to where the plane was and landed as close as we could."

Mr Beeke added: "It was very nerve-wracking running over to the plane because we had no idea whether the pilot was going to be all right."

The cockpit of the plane was stuck upside down in a ditch and the woman was trapped inside. The pair lifted the aircraft with their hands and the woman, who was conscious, was able to release herself from her harness.

Using his medical knowledge Mr Underdown decided her back needed to be protected and the pair carefully carried her safely clear of the wreckage.

Mr Underdown, 35, said: "She was very distressed but didn't seem to have any major injuries. It was amazing really. She had managed to carry out all the safety procedures before she hit the ground. She had secured all five harnesses on her seat. That was basically what saved her."

Mr Beeke said: "There seemed to be a stage after a little while when she realised that she was going to be OK. She had done everything and was going to be all right."

Once the emergency services arrived Mr Underdown and Mr Beeke took off again and continued their journey.

The woman was taken to St Richard's Hospital in Chichester. She was discharged on Sunday afternoon after being treated for shock and minor injuries.

An investigation has been launched into the cause of the accident. Goodwood Airfield yesterday refused to comment.

Mr Underdown said: "It would be really nice to hear from her. She was a nice girl and it would be good to meet up in less dramatic circumstances."

He said he thought the woman's name was Elise and she was in her late twenties or early thirties.

l If you were the pilot or know who she is, call The Argus on 01273 544512.