Chinook helicopter gets stuck in the mud in Oxfordshire

Video report by ITV News Meridian's Cary Johnston

A Chinook helicopter from RAF Benson in Wallingford, that landed in a field near Wantage after a minor technical problem, has become stuck.

The routine flight was forced to make a precautionary landing in a boggy field on Tuesday, due to a mechanical fault. There was absolutely no danger to the crew or anyone on the ground.

The problem was soon solved, but getting the helicopter back into the air, turned into something of a weighty issue, as the aircraft had begun to sink into the mud. 

A Chinook can carry up to 10 tonnes when fully loaded, so a boggy field is not the ideal landing strip.

It is not yet clear exactly when the helicopter will be moved, but the personnel who have been working hard at the site, say the land owner has been extremely helpful. 

It is hoped the Chinook will soon be airborne again, and will no longer be stuck in the mud.