Search For Missing Tornado Crew To Resume

Rescue teams will resume the search later two RAF airmen who missing after a pair of Tornado jets crashed off north coast of Scotland.

Four personnel RAF Lossiemouth were involved the incident, in the Tornado GR4s came in the Moray Firth on Tuesday.

A rescue helicopter picked two people who were taken to hospital in Inverness.

A Ministry of Defence spokesman confirmed the search for the airmen had been suspended at around 7.30pm night.

Aberdeen coastguard contacted the RNLI for assistance about 1.50pm after reports that the jets came down about 25 miles south Wick.

About 15 lifeboat volunteers joined the rescue operation boats from Wick, Invergordon and Buckie, the RNLI said.

The boats headed the Beatrice oil field area, supported by a helicopter Stornoway in the Western Isles.

Crew from the Buckie boat reported two people were taken from the sea by helicopter and flown Raigmore Hospital, although their condition is known.

Group Captain Ian Gale, the station commander, said his thoughts with the families and friends of those involved.

"It is with regret that I must confirm loss of two Tornado GR4 aircraft, from this station, an incident in the Moray Firth today," he said in a statement released by Ministry of Defence (MoD).

"The circumstances remain uncertain but this is a very serious incident.

"This incident involved four aircrew, all personnel this station, and the thoughts of everyone here are the families and friend of those ."

He would not comment the aircrew's condition or the circumstances of the incident.

He added: "I am confident the Tornado aircraft on this station are operated as safely as they can be - however, today's incident is a stark reminder that military operations and training we conduct are not without .

"What happened today is investigation and more details will released by the Royal Air Force in due course.

First Minister Alex Salmond said: "This is clearly very serious incident and my thoughts are the loved ones of those affected."

Tornado aircraft been involved in crashes in Scotland in recent years.

In January last year two RAF crew rescued after their Tornado GR4 jet down in the sea off the west coast of Scotland.

The crew, from RAF Lossiemouth, ejected the plane before it landed in the waters Loch Ewe, near Gairloch, Wester Ross.


Adapted and abridged from: Sky News, July 4, 2012.