Pikes Crag, Scafell Pike – Mon 18th Mar 2024

Incident

30 in 2024

Type

Limited Callout — Other

Location

Pikes Crag, Scafell Pike

Weather

Cloudy Summits

Other Agencies

Great North Air Ambulance, Helimed 58

The team assisted with Great North Air Ambulance Service recovering their helicopter that was stranded on callout 28.

Thanks as always to the Great North Air Ambulance Service crew for their help on Saturday’s callout…Their post says it all: –

Fog… a pilot’s worst nightmare!

When flying and landing in Cumbria’s mountainous landscape, conditions can change in the blink of an eye, especially at high altitudes.

Our pilots constantly monitor the weather conditions to ensure the safety of our team, but on Saturday, while attending a call-out on Scafell Pike, a dense cloud of fog surrounded our aircraft without warning.

We’re unable to fly in these conditions because of poor visibility and the increased likelihood of icing, which we cannot fly in due to strict guidelines from the Civil Aviation Authority – the safety of our patients, crew, and equipment is paramount in these situations.

Thankfully, the team was still able to treat the patient we flew out to, and they accompanied them in the descent down the mountain alongside Wasdale Mountain Rescue Team and Duddon and Furness Mountain Rescue Team, but pilot Mik stayed with the aircraft to wait until a break in the clouds appeared.

That break didn’t come until Monday afternoon, meaning our helicopter was at the top of Scafell Pike for two days, as the weather conditions did not allow for us to take off safely. Thankfully, Mik was safely accompanied down the mountain on Sunday.

We’re delighted to say that The Pride of Cumbria II was brought back home safe and sound thanks to pilot Stu, who made the three-hour ascent on Monday morning.

Our teams were still on call responding to incidents via our rapid response vehicles and second helicopter, ensuring people in need across Cumbria still had access to our expert doctor and critical care paramedics.

Huge thanks to everyone who helped us get out of this pickle, including the mountain rescue teams, Cumbria Police and Multiflight. Sometimes, it’s not what happens, it’s how you respond to the situation that matters most.

Find out more about what happened here, and how you can support us in ensuring our critical care cars are 24/7: https://www.greatnorthairambulance.co.uk/…/helicopter…/