A FATHER and son stumbled across an abandoned helicopter which had crash landed in a field on Exmoor.
The crashed helicopter which ditched in a field on Exmoor between Dulverton and Withypool on Sunday. Photos: Martin Bennett
Martin Bennett and his son Luke work as water engineers and were on their way to a job when they stumbled across the aircraft.
The duo, who live in Barnstaple, were travelling from Dulverton to Withypool on Monday when they made the discovery.
Martin, 52, said: “We saw the helicopter in the field and wondered why it had landed there, it was an odd place.
“But as we got closer to the helicopter it became obvious there was something wrong.
“It was lopsided. We pulled up and saw parts hanging off the helicopter.”
The pilot was nowhere to be seen and the pair reported the incident to police in both Devon and Somerset.
Martin said: “The helicopter was in the field but there was no one around.
“We do come across things from time to time like fires and people stuck in hedges and we help them out but we have never come across a stricken helicopter before.”
Inside the aircraft the pair found a technical log book from Elite Helicopters.
Glenn Curtis, who works in the operations department of the company, said this helicopter was a privately owned machine and was being flown by the owner.
He said: “Elite Helicopters is a commercial company licenced by the Civil Aviation Authority to conduct public transport and charter flights.
“We manage and operate numerous aircraft helicopter types which are privately owned.
“The owners use the aircraft themselves and these flights are carried out as private category flights.
“The nature of the flight which the incident occurred was a private category flight being flown by the owner of the aircraft.”
A spokesman for Avon and Somerset Police said the helicopter's pilot reported the crash to the force on Sunday evening.
It is understood he escaped uninjured.