RAF Officer Iain Bright had just five seconds to react when his aircraft engine failed shortly after takeoff and he began plummeting toward the ground.
“The engine just quit, which meant I went from max power to nothing with no warning,” reflects Iain. “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.”
With just seconds to avoid the obstruction, Iain, 58, attempted a left turn to reduce the crash angle.
“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,” he says.
After impact, flight lieutenant Iain, crashed hard from a height of around 100 feet resulting in him being knocked unconscious and wreckage from his small aircraft being strewn across the airfield at Easterton, near Elgin.
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 occurred.
The extent of Iain’s 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 admits. “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.”
A local land ambulance arrived within 10 minutes. Scottish Fire and Rescue, Police Scotland and Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance all rushed to Iain’s aid.
Unbeknownst to Iain, the extent of his injuries were extreme. He suffered two broken ankles, his back was broken in two places, four broken ribs, 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,” Iain comments.
“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.”
Iain was airlifted by SCAA in 20 minutes to the major trauma unit at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, the same journey by road would have taken over 1.5 hours.
His recovery has been ongoing for the last three years. Iain spent a week in high dependency and a total of three weeks in hospital, where he had both ankles rebuilt with ‘lots of metalwork’. His hospital stay was captured in the Channel 4 series Rescue Medics.
“I couldn’t put any weight on my feet for four months,” Iain says, “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 has had a drastic improvement on Iain’s mobility. He admits he can now go for walks on the beach and since his accident he has been determined to fundraise for SCAA.
Two years after his crash, Iain and his colleagues visited the Aberdeen base at Dyce after raising over £650 for SCAA. In a tribute to her father, Iain’s daughter also raised £500 during the charity’s 100 Miles in October challenge (2023).
And Iain managed to raise over £1000 doing the same challenge this year (2024).
He says: “If SCAA weren’t there and I was just relying on a land ambulance, I think it would have been a horrible journey.
“To the crew who helped me, I’d like to say thank you for being so prompt and professional.
“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.”
