The true story behind how an English cricket legend, 65, worried fans on Instagram with a photo of an upside-down plane in the outback

1 week ago 32

By ED CARRUTHERS, ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR, AUSTRALIA

Published: 15:41 GMT, 1 December 2025 | Updated: 15:41 GMT, 1 December 2025

English cricket commentator Jonathan Agnew left some fans worried for his safety last week after he published a picture on Instagram of an aeroplane that had been flipped upside down in the outback. 

The cricket legend had turned the comments off on the social media post and captioned the image: ‘Bugger...’, raising concerns that he may have been involved in an accident.

Thankfully, the 65-year-old, who is currently flying his around Australia with his wife Emma during the Ashes aboard a Cessna 182 plane, has since cleared up what really happened to the plane and that he was safe and well. 

He revealed that the plane, which had been parked at an airfield in Orange, was flipped over by the extreme winds that swept their way through New South Wales late last week. 

The BBC Test Match Special commentator said that the pilot of the light aircraft had forgotten to tie down the plane in the windy conditions, with the craft appearing to suffer some damage to its wings and hull as a result. 

English cricket legend Jonathan Agnew shocked some on instagram last week by posting a photograph of an airplane that had been flipped upside down due to strong winds in New South Wales 

The 65-year-old, who is currently flying his way around Australia with his wife Emma revealed that the plane hadn't been securely fastened to the ground and had flipped over due to the high winds. No one was understood to have been injured 

The BBC broadcaster (pictured with an emu in Narrabri) and Emma are hoping to raise money for the aviation charity Angel Flight as part of their trip

‘Silly so and so didn’t tie down his aircraft!’ the broadcaster stated in a separate Instagram post.

Agnew’s wife, Emma, also shed some light on the situation.

She has been publishing a blog, entitled The Agnew's Ashes Adventure, documenting their travels around Australia, with the couple hoping to raise money for the aviation charity Angel Flight

The not-for-profit organisation provides free non-emergency transportation for people who live in rural areas in Australia to access special medical treatments. 

You can find out more or donate to Angel Flight here

Emma revealed in the blog that the conditions were so windy in Australia that when the couple were landing in Sydney last week aboard a Virgin Australia flight, their pilot was forced to abort his initial landing, instead going around for a second attempt. 

‘It was with some trepidation that I got out of bed this morning - grateful not to hear the heavy winds that yesterday forced our aborted landing into Sydney,’ Emma wrote on The Agnews’ Ashes Adventure blog.

Emma revealed that she and her husband and Aussie sports commentator Jim Maxwell had since jumped aboard the Cessna 182 and have travelled inland from Sydney to Orange.

Agnew (pictured with Ben Stokes) and Emma will jet to each of this year's Ashes venues while also visiting some of Australia's more rural areas 

‘Of course, there were some bumps and jolts as we soared to 8500 feet - but mainly I was transfixed by the Blue Mountains, the gold mines and the lakes below us. An hour later we landed in Orange - somewhat more successfully than the pilot of this plane that greeted us on arrival!!’ Emma wrote.

Agnew, who holds a pilot's licence, and his wife Emma have published some outstanding photographs and clips of the country’s stunning landscape from the skies.

It is a trip that the BBC commentator and former England player says he's been dreaming of doing for many years.  

'I’ve been flying light aircraft for 20 years,' Jonathan wrote on the blog. 

'It’s an exhilarating hobby and having flown with instructors in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and even Guyana, my dream was to fly the Ashes. It is much simpler said than done!

'Two Australian friends, Don and Paul, have worked frantically with Angel Flight to link this dream with a charitable cause.'

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