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RAF helicopter fire on Snowdonia peak after technical issue | RAF helicopter fire on Snowdonia peak after technical issue |
(35 minutes later) | |
An RAF helicopter has burst into flames on a Snowdonia peak after being forced to land due to a technical problem. | |
All four people who were on board the training aircraft from RAF Valley on Anglesey have been reported safe and did not need hospital treatment. | |
Emergency services were called at about 13:45 BST to Yr Aran, a mountain peak on a ridge south of Snowdon. Walkers reported seeing 10ft-high (3m) flames. | Emergency services were called at about 13:45 BST to Yr Aran, a mountain peak on a ridge south of Snowdon. Walkers reported seeing 10ft-high (3m) flames. |
An air ambulance was sent to the scene, along with a coastguard helicopter. | |
Firefighters, police and mountain rescue teams from Llanberis, Ogwen Valley and Aberglaslyn also made their way to the peak, while an air exclusion zone was put in place. | |
A Ministry of Defence spokesman said the Griffin training helicopter "safely completed a precautionary landing in Snowdonia" following a technical issue. | A Ministry of Defence spokesman said the Griffin training helicopter "safely completed a precautionary landing in Snowdonia" following a technical issue. |
"All four people on board exited safely, subsequently the aircraft caught fire," he added. | |
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency said it was called at 13:45 BST to reports by the air ambulance of a helicopter crash west of Snowdon. | |
"The helimed was in the area at the time of the crash and was immediately on scene," a spokesman said. | |
Huw Price, who was walking nearby when the helicopter caught fire, said: "We were walking up the path, just me and the dog, and I saw this helicopter flying in the valley below us. | |
"I assumed it was routine fly-by, it did not look like it was looking for anything. | |
"Then it went away and I just assumed it had flown off, but then I saw billowing black smoke." | |
Mr Price, who is on holiday in north Wales, said a walker who passed him said he had seen the helicopter land. | |
"There was no big bang, it must have just had some sort of issue. There was lots of smoke. It was high, thick, black smoke," he added. |