RAF pilots relive crash landing

The two RAF airmen escaped unhurt after their crash landing

Two Tornado pilots have spoken of their relief after walking away from a 165mph crash landing at RAF Lossiemouth.

Flight Lieutenant Pete Walker and navigator, Flying Officer Kev Gatland, escaped unharmed from their aircraft after Monday's emergency touchdown.

The £15m aircraft's two main wheels failed to lower following a 90-minute practice run.

Firefighters extinguished a fire in a fuel tank on a right wing before it burst into a ball of flame.

The airmen, from the base's 12 Squadron, discovered they were in trouble as they approached the airstrip at 2,500ft when cockpit warning lights showed their two main wheels had not come down.

FO Gatland, 23, said: "We flew over the air traffic control tower and they confirmed the front wheel was down but the two main wheels were up and their carriage doors were closed."

I looked over to the right and saw flames erupting from the wing, which had made contact with the runway FO Kev Gatland

After an emergency back-up system managed to lower the left wheel the duo decided to try to land.

The navigator added: "We mobilised the arresting hook which would hopefully catch a cable which is laid out on the runway to slow us down fast.

"We came in at about 165mph, landed on the left wheel, the front nose wheel came down and then the hook connected with the cable. We came to a halt five seconds - and 1,000ft - later.

"I looked over to the right and saw flames erupting from the wing, which had made contact with the runway.

"Thankfully the firefighters were on scene quickly to extinguish the fire."

Evacuation plan

Both men said they had considered evacuating the aircraft if the landing had gone wrong.

Flt Lt Walker added: "At the time we hoped the emergency back up system would help us out, but it didn't do us any good.

"I was so busy doing the checks and trying to sort things out and land safely that I didn't have time to worry."

Despite being shaken up by the episode the two men have already flown again.

An inquiry is to be carried out into the incident.