Snowdonia Helicopter Fire - Rescue Team Report

© Llanberis Mountain Rescue Team

On Tuesday afternoon an RAF training helicopter made an emergency landing on the Snowdonia peak of Yr Aran before bursting into flames. The crew of five escaped unhurt but the fire was seen by hillwalkers for miles around, and made the national news. Local mountain rescue teams attended the scene, and they've sent us this report with photos of the incident.


At 13:42 on Tuesday afternoon North Wales Police requested the assistance of Llanberis Mountain Rescue Team in response to an incident involving a military training aircraft on the mountain of Yr Aran in Northern Snowdonia.

As the team were already attending two other incidents involving walkers on Snowdon we requested further assistance from neighbouring teams; Aberglaslyn Mountain Rescue Team and Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue Organisation. Two Coastguard Search and Rescue aircraft were also deployed from their bases in Caernarfon and St Athan.

The unhurt air crew were recovered by the North Wales Air Ambulance, who happened to be passing in the area, to the Llanberis Mountain Rescue Team base in Nant Peris. 5 Llanberis team members made their way to the aircraft location to help secure the site and await the arrival of RAF mountain rescue personnel who are specifically trained to attend air crash incidents.

This incident involved 25 Llanberis rescue team personnel and 10 from neighbouring teams. The two other incidents attended to by Llanberis MRT this afternoon involved a male walker with a broken leg on the Watkin path and a male walker with a broken wrist on the Pyg track. 

Other agencies who responded to this incident include North Wales Ambulance Service, North Wales Fire and Rescue Service and North Wales Police. 

Llanberis Mountain Rescue Team have attended 19 incidents so far this month and would like to extend thanks to Aberglaslyn Mountain Rescue Team and Ogwen Mountain Rescue Organisation for their continued support during this exceptionally busy period.

  • All photos courtesy of Llanberis Mountain Rescue Team

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