A Portsmouth man was killed and hundreds narrowly escaped death Saturday afternoon when a light plane crashed at Hampton Beach while attempting an emergency landing during a thunder storm.

Killed was Arthur H. Sanderson, 51, of Islington street, Portsmouth and Waldwick, New Jersey, pilot of the ill-fated aircraft. He was pronounced dead upon arrival at the Exeter Hospital. Sanderson was taken to the hospital by Lt. Paul Leavitt and Officer John Woodburn.

Among the first on the scene were Chief Francis Bajowski of the Hampton Coast Guard station and life guard Jim Donahue who pulled Sanderson from the wreckage.

Eye witnesses to the mishap said a sudden gust of wind caught Sanderson's plane as it attempted to touch down, flipped it over and slammed it into the beach at the water's edge.

The plane hit with such force as to tear loose the engine and its protective cowling which came to rest some yards from the main wreckage.

The accident, which occurred about 200 yards south of the Coast Guard station, was witnessed by several hundred bathers who had huddled near the seawall to escape the storm. Minutes earlier the beach had been jammed.

Sanderson, who was born in Jersey City, N. J., had resided in Portsmouth for the past several years. He was employed by the Atlantic Design Corp. of Newark, N. J. as a testing design engineer at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard.

Members of the family include his wife, Mrs. Irene Sanderson; a son, Arthur H. Sanderson, Jr., of Waldrick, N. J.; a daughter, Mrs. Richmond L. Sylvester of Portsmouth; a sister, Mrs. Jesse Schepler of Pottersville, N. J., and six grand-children.

Funeral services were held in Portsmouth Monday with burial in Bayview Cemetery, Jersey City.