Survivor of Yorkshire vintage helicopter crash describes fatal descent

Les Clark suffered serious chest and spinal injuries when a former military Alouette aircraft crashed at Breighton Aerodrome, near Selby, last July, in an accident which claimed his friend Nigel Feetham’s life.

After being airlifted to hospital by Yorkshire Air Ambulance, he has helped raise more than £16,000 for what he describes as a “fantastic” charity.

The accident features in next Monday’s episode of Helicopter ER, a series on UKTV which follows the life-saving work of the air ambulance service.

Mr Clark, 60, from Wheldrake, near York, was a front-seat passenger in the helicopter which was carrying four passengers when it crashed. He said: “It was just an unfortunate combination of small things which, singularly, would not be a problem. But, when they come together – like the holes in a Swiss cheese lining up – you have a problem.

“I just remember there was a loud crack and one second I was looking at the sun and the next at shadows with the ground coming up really quickly.”