A farmer and his wife found themselves at the centre of a military incident yesterday as an Army attack helicopter was forced to make an emergency landing just yards from their home.
A full-scale emergency was declared when the Air Corps Apache helicopter got into difficulties on its way to Moray.
The crew were unable to make it to Aberdeen Airport and came down safely in a field at Maryculter, south of Aberdeen, around noon.
Sharon and Kevin Park, both 43, watched the situation unfold outside their home at Sunnyside House Farm.
Mrs Park said: “It was pretty scary. There was smoke coming out of the back of the helicopter.
“After what happened with the Clutha (the bar in Glasgow where a helicopter crashed) it was a bit of a fright really – there seem to have been so many of these kinds of incidents recently.”
The helicopter – part of the 16 Air Assault Brigade’s Air Assault Task Force – was travelling to Moray for the Operation Joint Warrior exercise.
It had been due to take part in a simulated air assault demonstrating the capture of Kinloss airfield. Mr Park said: “We heard a chopper flying very loudly over the house and when we looked out we saw it wasn’t the usual kind we get in this area.
“We watched it go down in a field across the road. We ran out to speak to the crew and they said the engine had failed and they had to issue a mayday call.
“They could not maintain the altitude so they had to set it down. They wanted to come down on the road but they couldn’t because of the overhead power cables.”
The two Army crew on board – a senior non-commissioned officer and an officer – were not harmed in the landing.
A Ministry of Defence spokeswoman said: “We can confirm that an Army Air Corps Apache helicopter made an emergency landing a couple of miles short of Aberdeen Airport. The crew are all fine.”