Casualties feared in UK mid-air collision

London, Nov 17 (PTI) A mid-air collision between a light aircraft and a helicopter today resulted in a "number of casualties" in south-east England.Thames Valley police officers at the crash site in t

London, Nov 17 (PTI) A mid-air collision between a light aircraft and a helicopter today resulted in a “number of casualties” in south-east England.

Thames Valley police officers at the crash site in the village of Waddesdon near Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire said they were focused on “preservation of life”.

“We are aware of a number of casualties following an incident this afternoon in Waddesdon, Aylesbury…Fire and ambulance services are also in attendance and preservation of life is first priority,” a spokesperson said.

Both aircraft came from Wycombe Air Park, also known as Booker Airfield near High Wycombe, which offers flight training.

A spokesperson for the airstrip said, “Wycombe Air Park can confirm that at 12 pm (local time) today we were informed of an incident north-west of Aylesbury involving two aircraft from Wycombe Air Park”.

The site of the crash is close to the Royal Air Force (RAF) base of Halton, which has since confirmed that no military aircraft had been involved in the collision.

The local Bucks Fire and Rescue teams remain in attendance, having sent seven vehicles including urban search and rescue.

The UK’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch has also sent a team to probe the crash.

“There have been a number of casualties at the scene, but at this stage this is all we are able to confirm,” South Central Ambulance Service said.

This is published unedited from the PTI feed.