Four in 'miracle' escape from mountain plane crash

Police and the RAF say it was a "miracle" that four people survived after their plane crashed 2,000ft up a Scottish mountain in poor weather conditions.

The four-seater Cessna 172, with three men and one woman on board, went down at 2,000ft in the Grampian mountains between Dalwhinnie and Lochnagar early this afternoon.

Rescuers in an RAF helicopter discovered the group after spotting hands waving from the snow on the mountain south east of Braemar, Royal Deeside.

An RAF spokesman said: "It is a miracle to either crash land or control a landing at 2000ft up in the Highlands in the middle of winter and walk away. It is incredible."

The four are Mark Peacock, 22, from Peterborough, who suffered a suspected rib fracture, pilot Stephen Broughton, 53, from Ipswich, who had injuries to his head, left wrist and right hand and Judy Laidler, 19, from Peterborough, who was suffering from hypothermia and extensive bruising.

The fourth person, a 38-year-old man who suffered facial injuries, did not want to be named.

The plane had been en-route from the south of England to Inverness, where it was due to land at 1.20pm, when contact was lost.

A distress beacon was activated and the RAF's Air Rescue Co-ordination Centre was alerted by RAF Lossiemouth Air Traffic Control which reported an overdue aircraft.

A helicopter from RAF Lossiemouth spotted the group and then alerted another search helicopter from RAF Boulmer which had four members of the Braemar Mountain Rescue Team on board.

They went to the scene and assisted in airlifting the four to hospital.