RAF Tornado crashes into hillside

Jul 2 2009

A military jet with two crew members on board has crashed into a hillside at a remote Scottish beauty spot.

The RAF Tornado F3, from RAF Leuchars in Fife, came down in Glen Kinglas, Argyll, during a routine training flight.

A major search was launched for the pilot and weapons systems operator who were on board.

It is not known if they were able to evacuate from the plane before it hit the ground.

The crash happened at 11.45am on Thursday close to the Rest And Be Thankful tourist spot near the village of Arrochar on the A83, west of Loch Lomond. Search and rescue helicopters from the HMS Gannett naval base and RAF Lossiemouth were scrambled to search the remote countryside for the wreckage and the crew.

No civilians are thought to have been hurt in the accident. Air accident investigators will also be attending in a bid to establish the cause of the crash.

Witnesses said planes appeared to have been flying much lower than usual. Weather in the area at the time was said to be overcast with thick cloud.

Andy Graham, 60, a retired rigger who moved to Arrochar three years ago, said he saw two Tornados flying low in the area around lunchtime.

He said: "We get jets flying over here on training exercises quite regularly. It's not unusual to see them and you definitely hear them. But today they seemed to be flying much lower than normal. We watched them fly along the loch, up through the glen and towards the Rest And Be Thankful."

A spokesman for the Ministry of Defence said: "We can confirm that a Tornado F3 from RAF Leuchars crashed in Glen Kinglas during a routine training flight. The crash is being investigated at the moment. There will be a service inquiry held by the RAF."