Microlight crashes into Somerton fields after engine cut out Trainee pilot John Merriman was 300ft over fields when engine cut out He calmly guided the stricken microlight to a nearby empty field The 53-year-old escaped without a scratch thanks to skilful landing Amazingly, Mr Merriman was back in the air within a few weeks This is the terrifying moment the engine of a microlight suddenly cuts out at 300ft - forcing the rookie pilot into an emergency landing in a field. Aviator John Merriman, 53, of Somerton, Somerset, was cruising at 50 knots over the countryside when he was confronted by the life-or-death emergency. The engine on his two-seater XAir microlight stopped, bringing the propeller to a juddering halt and filling the cockpit with an eery silence. Crash: The terrifying moment a pilot crash lands in a field after the engine of his microlight cut out. The pilot was unharmed Mr Merriman's remarkably calm response and his miraculous escape was filmed on a camera above his head in the cockpit. He sends a mayday over his headset radio and banks to the right in an attempt to glide back down. But the ground rushes rapidly towards him as the microlight falls like a stone - with overhead power lines directly in its path. Judging that he won't make it over the cables, John dips the nose at the last minute and crash-lands at almost 50 mph, just feet from a herd of cows. Flight cancellation: Aviator John Merriman, 53, was making a solo flight in his two-seater microlight aircraft above the Somerset countryside when the incident happened Unscheduled landing: The 53-year-old's reaction is calm and immediate when it becomes clear that he will not remain airborne for long The microlight hits a tractor rut which tears off the front undercarriage and nose cone and comes to an abrupt stop. The accident wrote-off the £5,000 machine - but John unstrapped himself and climbed from the wreckage completely unhurt. Mr Merriman, who has only been flying for six months and has 30 hours recorded time in the air, said: 'I told myself "Don't panic - remember your training." 'It was pretty hair-raising but I had no choice - you've only got one shot at doing it right or you're in big trouble. The plane will just drop out of the sky like a brick, and that will be the end of you. Mr Merriman in the wreckage of the microlight. He is a rookie pilot but is set to gain his licence soon The incredible scenes were taken from a fixed camera inside the £5,000 microlight Tense: The trainee pilot veers to the right to find a clear strip of land for an emergency landing Stoic: The ground rushes up towards the microlight, but the pilot remains steely and in control He added: 'When I saw the electricity pylon and the cables stretching across the field I knew I wouldn't make it over them. I dipped the nose as far as I could and descended as fast as possible. When I hit the ground at 50mph, the ruts in the field catapulted the plane forward and almost threw me out of the cockpit. I was lucky to be unhurt. I didn't even bruise a knuckle.' The part-time delivery driver had his lucky escape on October 4 as he made his second solo flight of the day above Somerton, where he has a small holding. Split-second: The moment before the plane hits the ground Mr Merriman dipped the nose at the last minute to avoid power lines and crash-lands at almost 50mph, just feet from a herd of cows Hair-raising: The aircraft veers sharply to the side at the impact. Mr Merriman was unhurt and flew again just weeks later After the crash he called his wife Heather, 51, to help him carry the remains of his microlight back to their farm in their Land Rover. The aircraft was a write-off with the crank in the engine broken and the undercarriage of the fuselage damaged beyond repair. But despite his near-death experience Mr Meriman was back in the air within a few weeks after buying himself a replacement microlight. He said: 'I've only got to do a couple more hours' flight time and I'll have my pilot's licence. 'I'm certainly not hanging around on the ground too long, although I think my instructor Chris Harrison is more worried than me.' Unhurt and unshaken, Mr Merriman inspects the damage to the microlight, which was written off in the crash