RAF pilot recalls terrifying crash at Elgin airfield that left him with horror injuries

An RAF pilot has told of the terrifying moment his plane engine failed moments after take-off – causing him to crash into an Elgin airfield.

Iain Bright had just five seconds to react when he began plummeting towards the ground from a 100ft drop across the airfield at Easterton.

The RAF Lossiemouth flight lieutenant had been flying a small aircraft when the engine “just quit”.

The 58-year-old revealed how he was just seconds away from instantly being killed, but by attempting a left turn to reduce the crash angle, he managed to narrowly avoid a grassy mound which could have proved fatal.

“I went from max power to nothing with no warning,” he explained.

“This grassy mound that jutted out of the airfield was right in front of me. I knew if I hit it the impact would kill me.

“I knew I was crashing and I knew it was going to be severe. The option in front of me of hitting the mound would have almost certainly been fatal.”

The impact resulted in Mr Bright being knocked unconscious and wreckage from his small aircraft being strewn across the airfield.

He regained consciousness after six minutes and managed to call his friend, who was with him at the airfield but completely unaware of what had just happened.

The extent of his injuries was reflected in the damage to the aircraft, the front of which was completely “shredded”.

“When I came to, my legs were in the grass,” he said.

“I could see the sole of my left foot, so I knew that was badly broken. The windscreen had exploded on impact, thankfully my eyes were protected by my visor, but I couldn’t undo my chin strap.

“Then I realised there was a large shard of windscreen stuck in my chin. Once I pulled that out, I manged to crawl free of the wreckage.

“My friend – who was a doctor – arrived and seen the wreckage everywhere. He then called for medical help.”

An ambulance arrived within 10 minutes, with the fire and rescue service, police and Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance (SCAA) rushing to Mr Bright’s aid.

Unbeknown to him, the extent of his injuries were extreme – he had suffered two broken ankles, his back was broken in two places, four broken ribs, a partially collapsed lung and internal bleeding.

“The pain started to hit as soon as I knew help was on the way. I think the adrenaline was wearing off,” he said.

“SCAA’s Helimed 79 was on the scene quickly with several other emergency service vehicles. The paramedics gave me pain relief and put my left leg – which was in bad shape – into an inflatable splint.”

Mr Bright was airlifted by SCAA in 20 minutes to the major trauma unit at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, a journey that would have taken over an hour-and-a-half if he had been taken by road.

RAF pilot’s three-year journey to recovery

The accident happened in July 2021.

Mr Bright’s recovery has been ongoing for the last three years, initially spending a week in high dependency and a total of three weeks in hospital, where he had both ankles rebuilt with “lots of metalwork”.

“I couldn’t put any weight on my feet for four months,” he said, adding: “I was in a wheelchair for a long time.

“Because the left ankle had almost been torn off and reattached, it was badly damaged at the joint. I went from being a very active, sporty person to literally not being able to do anything, which was really difficult.”

A recent complete ankle replacement resulted in a drastic improvement on his mobility, with him now being able to go for walks on the beach.

Since his accident, he has been determined to fundraise for SCAA and two years after his crash, Mr Bright and his colleagues visited the charity’s Aberdeen base at Dyce after raising over £650 for them.

In a tribute to her father, his daughter also raised £500 during the charity’s 100 Miles challenge in October last year, with Mr Bright managing to raise more than £1,000 doing the same challenge this year.

‘To the crew who helped me, I’d like to say thank you’

He said that if SCAA had not rescued him, “it would have been a horrible journey” to hospital.

“To the crew who helped me, I’d like to say thank you for being so prompt and professional,” he said.

“I hope SCAA are always there for anyone who needs them. You just never know when you wake up that something bad could happen to you that day.

“It’s reassuring, particularly in remote areas, knowing that there is a service that can whisk you away quickly and get you the right treatment – which is often life-saving.”