Wader2
22nd Feb 2008, 10:33
An RAF Nimrod aircraft has joined an international search for the pilot of a light aircraft which ditched in the sea during a storm off Iceland today, Thursday 21 February 2008
The Nimrod was scrambled from its base at RAF Kinloss to search for the pilot who is in a survival suit in freezing conditions 100 miles (161km) south of Iceland.
The Piper Cherokee PA 28 aircraft was routing from the Icelandic capital Rekyjavik to Wick in the North-East of Scotland. The pilot told Iceland Air Traffic he was at 9,000 feet (1.7km) at 1122 hrs. Seventeen minutes later he sent a Mayday message reporting severe icing to the aircraft control surfaces and that he was ditching. He is known to be in a survival suit but it is not clear whether he also has a dinghy.
Iceland Coastguard scrambled a Fokker Friendship fixed-wing aircraft and a Super Puma helicopter. They also requested the RAF Nimrod. Staff at the Aeronautical Rescue Co-ordination Centre at Kinloss detected a distress beacon from the scene which confirmed the aircraft was in the water.
An RAF rescue spokesman, said:
"The weather conditions are very bad with heavy thunderstorms and 20 feet [6m] swell. We always try to remain optimistic on these occasions but this is very much a race against time to find the pilot. You have to be realistic as well as hopeful."
He added that the Nimrod crew will rely on both a visual as well as an electronic search. They were expected to stay on scene for up to four hours.
The Nimrod was scrambled from its base at RAF Kinloss to search for the pilot who is in a survival suit in freezing conditions 100 miles (161km) south of Iceland.
The Piper Cherokee PA 28 aircraft was routing from the Icelandic capital Rekyjavik to Wick in the North-East of Scotland. The pilot told Iceland Air Traffic he was at 9,000 feet (1.7km) at 1122 hrs. Seventeen minutes later he sent a Mayday message reporting severe icing to the aircraft control surfaces and that he was ditching. He is known to be in a survival suit but it is not clear whether he also has a dinghy.
Iceland Coastguard scrambled a Fokker Friendship fixed-wing aircraft and a Super Puma helicopter. They also requested the RAF Nimrod. Staff at the Aeronautical Rescue Co-ordination Centre at Kinloss detected a distress beacon from the scene which confirmed the aircraft was in the water.
An RAF rescue spokesman, said:
"The weather conditions are very bad with heavy thunderstorms and 20 feet [6m] swell. We always try to remain optimistic on these occasions but this is very much a race against time to find the pilot. You have to be realistic as well as hopeful."
He added that the Nimrod crew will rely on both a visual as well as an electronic search. They were expected to stay on scene for up to four hours.