During World War II, in 1945, Margaret Horton was working as ground crew at RAF Hibaldstow in Lincolnshire, England, when an extraordinary accident unfolded.

Horton had been sitting on the tail of a Supermarine Spitfire while it was being taxied, a routine practice to prevent the aircraft from bouncing. But the pilot unexpectedly accelerated onto the runway and took off without realising she was still clinging to the aircraft!

As the Spitfire climbed into the sky, Horton desperately held on to the tailplane. She later recalled trying to move the throttle so the pilot would realise someone was aboard.

Against incredible odds, she survived an entire circuit of the airfield before the pilot made what she described as “a beautiful landing.” She simply climbed off and continued with her day!

Surprisingly, the incident also earned her a reprimand for not getting off the aircraft and for dropping her gloves. She was even made to buy replacement gloves!

Decades later, her remarkable story is being preserved by the North Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre at the former RAF site, where volunteers keep local aviation history alive.

A terrifying experience at the time, Margaret Horton’s incredible flight remains one of the most unusual stories from wartime aviation history.