Five people seriously injured in Breighton helicopter crash
An investigation is underway.
Five men are in hospital after being seriously hurt in a helicopter crash at an aerodrome.
Humberside Police officers were called to the scene at Breighton Airfield, near Selby, North Yorkshire, at 6.07pm on Sunday.
A force spokesman said the injuries were serious but not believed to be life-threatening. The casualties had head, back, chest and leg injuries.
North Yorkshire Fire Service said all of them were out of the helicopter when rescuers arrived. Two people were taken by air ambulance to Hull Royal Infirmary and Leeds General Hospital, while three others were driven to hospital.
Patricia lives nearby and spoke to Viking:
"Normally one siren is quite a big thing round here, and it was siren after siren after siren, then I heard the fire engine go down, and I said 'there's something really big happening.
"Somebody said it could be the airfield and I looked and I couldn't see any smoke or anything, so I straight onto Facebook and someone said it could be crash."
Locals have told us that an air show was on at the time of the crash. Patricia said it's concerning:
"It's lovely to watch the planes doing their twists and turns, but it is quite scary sometimes thinking that they might actually hit a house!"
A Humberside Police spokesman said:
"Numerous emergency services were in attendance. The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) will be leading the investigation to establish what caused the crash.''
The Yorkshire Air Ambulance Service said both its helicopters were sent to the crash site.
Breighton is a former Second World War heavy bomber base and Cold War nuclear missile launch site.
It is now the home of the Real Aeroplane Company, a collection of classic planes, and the Real Aeroplane Club, whose members own and operate many unusual aircraft.