RAF left red-faced after mounting search for lost helicopter which ran out of fuel
Mar 29 2010 By Craig McDonald
A HUGE search was launched for an RAF helicopter which ran out of fuel.
The Super Puma crew got caught out during a training exercise and had to land in a remote area, where they lost radio contact with their base.
A Coastguard helicopter was scrambled to find the chopper and around 50 rescue personnel joined the search.
When the Puma was found, the crew were so embarrassed they refused a lift back to their base and waited with the aircraft until it could be refuelled the following day.
A source told the Record: "There are some red faces over this one. It's a cock-up, plain and simple."
The Puma was on a navigation exercise in Ross-shire when the crew realised they didn't have enough fuel.
Air traffic controllers were informed that the chopper was landing near Loch Maree in Wester Ross and the Coastguard were called at 4.45pm.
As well as the Coastguard helicopter from Stornoway, rescue teams from Torridon, Loch Ewe, Gareloch, Kyle of Lochalsh and Ullapool joined the hunt.
Portree and Kyle lifeboats were launched and a Coastguard tug was put on standby.
A source said: "With any missing aircraft, the tactic is to saturate the area as quickly as possible.
"There would be dozens of personnel involved in the hunt - no one would have known if the Puma had crashed on land, ditched in the sea, or whatever."
The source added: "The helicopter was supposed to have been following a road between Applecross and Aultbea, in Ross-shire.
"They got a bit lost, which would not normally be a problem for a large military helicopter. But in this case they had only the minimum fuel.
"They apparently had just 27 minutes worth for the 20-mile planned route."
The missing chopper was eventually spotted just after 6pm.
The source said: "The Stornoway-based crew got there very quickly. They wondered why they were getting no explanation for the landing of the helicopter in such a remote area.
"They were told the eight people on board the Super Puma were fine and they did not want to be rescued. "
The crew remained with the chopper overnight before another helicopter was dispatched to refuel it. It returned to base at RAF Kinloss, Moray, on Saturday.
Yesterday, a Ministry of Defence spokeswoman said bad weather had caused the Super Puma's estimated journey time to increase.
But an aviation source described the failure to take enough fuel as "very embarrassing".
He said: "As cock-ups go, it's a classic. I can't say I've heard of it happening with such consequences before."
The MoD spokeswoman said an investigation would be held.
She said: "The Puma had to make an unscheduled landing.
"They either ran out of fuel or were about to run out of fuel.
"A localised search was quickly called off when the aircraft was located."
Maritime and Coastguard Agency spokesman Fred Caygill said: "We are pleased we were able to assist our colleagues in the RAF."