EXPERTS from the Royal Navy Flight Safety and Accident Investigation Centre have been sent to Scotland to find out what caused a Merlin helicopter to crash into the sea off the North West coast of Scotland.

The helicopter from 700M Naval Air Squadron, based at Culdrose in Cornwall, was hovering at 100ft during a sonar dipping trial in the Sound of Raasay when a failure forced it to ditch.

As it hit the water, the helicopter turned over but remained afloat long enough for all five members of the crew to escape.

A spokesman for the squadron said: "The aircraft was operating from an air strip at Plockton and was flying over the British Underwater Test and Evaluation Centre (BUTEC) ranges when the incident occurred.

"All five members of the crew were rescued. They were picked up by the motor fishing vessel Fram III and transferred by inflatable boat to the Royal Maritime Auxiliary Service (RMAS) Warden.

"One man had suffered a suffered an injury to his back and he was treated in hospital at Stornoway. The other four were taken by RAF helicopter to hospital in Skye for observation and later discharged.

"An investigation team from the Royal Navy Flight Safety and Accident Investigation Centre is now working to determine the cause of the accident, and it is hoped to salvage the aircraft in due course.

Merlin is an anti-submarine helicopter which came into service last year. The accident was the first involving an operational aircraft but two prototypes were lost during its development phase.