A couples scenic flight on a vintage plane almost ended in disaster as the plane crashed and flipped upside down on the runway.

The striped 1951 Boeing Stearman was seen overturned on the tarmac of the Shellharbour Airport in the NSW lllawarra region on Saturday with its wheels pointed towards the sky, the UKs Daily Mail reported.

A pilot and passenger, a couple in their 50s, managed to escape from the plane without significant injuries.

They were treated by paramedics before the woman was transferred to Shellharbour Hospital in a stable condition for further observation.

The pilot had just purchased the $200,000 plane and was still learning how to fly it when it crashed.

Shocked witness Clinton Down said that it looked like a ˜wild ride.

I saw the tail go up and over, [it] was a bit of a shock, he said.

Being that it is such an old plane, to walk away from something like that is a relief to see.

Emergency services were called to the scene, where 70 litres of plane fuel had spilled on the runway.

HAZMAT firefighters and airport staff isolated the spill to avoid any hazards before beginning the cleaning process.

The cause of the crash Is yet to be determined. (Saturday Vanguard)

Upside plane