Crash survivors in 'amazing' escape

The rescue helicopter touches down in Aberdeen

Four people have had a "miraculous" escape after their light aircraft crashed in a remote area of north east Scotland.

Their Cessna 172 had been en-route from Oxfordshire to Inverness when it came down in the Lochnagar area, about five miles south of Braemar, on Thursday afternoon.

A member of the Grampian Police Mountain Rescue Team said the aircraft came down in hostile terrain and the three men and a woman were "lucky to be alive". Search teams are still trying to trace the aircraft wreckage.

To survive an aircraft crash in winter time on the Scottish mountains - to survive any aircraft crash is a miracle in itself

Jim Wood, mountain rescue

The survivors were picked up by a Royal Air Force helicopter and taken to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.

A spokesman for the hospital said the four had arrived at the hospital at 1645 GMT.

He said they were Mark Peacock, 22, from Peterborough, who was suffering from a suspected rib fracture; pilot Stephen Broughton, 53, from Ipswich, who had injuries to his head, left wrist and right hand; and Judy Laidler, 19, from Peterborough, who was suffering from hypothermia and extensive bruising.

The fourth person, a 38-year-old man who suffered facial injuries, did not want to be named.

A survivor is taken into hospital

Police said the plane came down 3000ft up a mountain, south east of Braemar, in Royal Deeside.

It was believed to have touched down in Peterborough to pick up two of its passengers before taking off again for Inverness, where it was due to land at 1320 GMT. However, contact was lost.

A distress beacon was activated and the RAF's Air Rescue Co-ordination Centre was alerted by RAF Lossiemouth Air Traffic Control.

The four were found by the helicopter and members of the Grampian Police and Braemar mountain rescue teams, who were training in the area at the time.

Jim Wood, of the Grampian team, said: "To survive an aircraft crash in winter time on the Scottish mountains - to survive any aircraft crash is a miracle in itself.

Snow holes

"But for these to survive at that level, wearing clothes which are obviously more accustomed to a town or a city is just amazing."

When rescuers found them, the four were attempting to dig snow holes for shelter and had walked away from the aircraft.

Superintendent Peter Clark, of Grampian Police, said: "I don't want to speculate. It may have been that there might have been fuel leaking from the aircraft.

Jim Wood: Conditions in the area were hostile

"They may have known that they were in a remote part of Scotland and they were attempting to come down off the hill.

"There could have been various reasons why they were doing that and at this stage, until we've actually spoken to the people involved I wouldn't want to confirm anything just now."

An RAF spokesman said: "The crew spotted hands waving out of the snow."

"They alerted another search helicopter from RAF Boulmer which had four members of the Braemar Mountain Rescue Team on board.

"They went to the scene and assisted in airlifting the four to hospital."

There are plans for a search for the plane to begin at first light on Friday, and an investigation involving Grampian Police and the Civil Aviation Authority is expected to be launched into the cause of the incident.