nimrod

[dessie]

is it true just heared that out local nimrod went down in the atlantic this afternoon..they said the crew jumped out..just hope its not true...please keep me informed..

[Tugmistress]

No, Nimrod in the search for a single pilot who ditched his plane in the atlantic on route from iceland to wick

[ANNIE]

Seen something on the scottish news about that. It was just off Iceland not sure if they have the crew yet hears a clip from the news on the web Search for crashed aircraft pilot

A Nimrod aircraft is operating 450 miles from base
A light aircraft flying from Reykjavik in Iceland to Wick in the north of Scotland has crashed into the sea.
The Royal Air Force said the Piper Cherokee came down in a storm 100 miles south of Iceland.

A Nimrod search and rescue aircraft from RAF Kinloss in Moray and Icelandic rescue services are looking for the pilot, who is believed to be American.

The RAF said weather conditions were severe with heavy thunderstorms and a 20ft swell.

The pilot told Iceland Air Traffic he was at 9,000ft at 1122 GMT, but 17 minutes later he sent a Mayday message reporting severe icing to the aircraft and that he was ditching.

We always try to remain optimistic on these occasions, but this is very much a race against time to find the pilot

Michael Mulford
RAF spokesman

He was known to be in a survival suit but it was not clear whether he also had a dinghy.

Spokesman Michael Mulford said: "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."

The Kinloss Nimrod is operating 450 miles from its station on the Moray coast.

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.

However, it was understood the beacon had since stopped suggesting the aircraft had sunk