Air ambulance helicopter forced into emergency landing in loch

An air ambulance helicopter was forced into an emergency landing in a Highland loch.

The Scottish Ambulance Service said the crew was unhurt and there were no passengers aboard after the aircraft ditched in Loch Torridon at around 12.35pm on Thursday.

The Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB) has launched an investigation into the incident involving the EC145 helicopter.

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency said the aircraft had landed “beside” the loch.

The helicopter was responding to an emergency call from Applecross.

A doctor was sent to tend the patient and remained with them until a road ambulance arrived.

The ambulance service attributed the unexpected landing to poor weather conditions.

A statement from the AAIB said: “The AAIB has started an investigation into an accident involving a EC145 helicopter which ditched into Loch Torridon and subsequently recovered to dry land on Thursday, May 7, 2026.

“A multi-disciplinary team including inspectors with expertise in aircraft operations, engineering and recorded data have been deployed to gather evidence and make enquiries.”