A FIGHTER jet from North Yorkshire guided a civilian aircraft to safety when the plane lost all its management systems over a major city, the RAF said today.

The aircraft, containing a pilot and two passengers, lost all its management systems apart from its altimeter and engines over Glasgow yesterday.

The Tornado F3 crew were on a routine training sortie when they were asked to help and drew alongside the plane before guiding it through clouds to safety after being told about the emergency situation.

The plane landed safely more than an hour later at RAF Leuchars in Fife.

Flight Lieutenants Ted Threapleton and Mark Ginge Wilson, members of XXV(F) Squadron based at RAF Leeming in North Yorkshire, were training over the Lake District when they were asked to help the stranded Beechcraft Super King Air plane.

Flt Lt Threapleton, 54, said: We said that we could help because we had more fuel than usual on board. It wasnt long before we picked him up on our radar.

The Tornado crew drew alongside and slightly ahead of the plane and gave the recognised greeting of rocking its wings.

At the start of the incident, the RAF crew thought the pilot had only lost his communications systems, but he had actually lost most of his management systems and had no way of knowing his speed or attitude.

Flt Lt Threapleton said: We knew that he would have problems descending because he had no way of knowing where he was, so we wanted to keep in contact with him while we escorted him into Prestwick.

But with poor visibility, the proposed landing site was moved to Edinburgh.

The RAF crew used hand signals to keep in contact with the pilot as they guided it to safety, but the Beechlight plane was travelling at a much slower speed than the Tornado, making the operation more difficult.

When we started to descend there was some more cloud and the plane really struggled. The pilot did well to pull back out of it.

The proposed landing site was then changed again, to RAF Leuchars, which involved the Tornado weaving in between clouds and through small clear spaces.

Flt Lt Threapleton said: There was probably nobody else who could have done it because civilian aircraft dont have all the radars, radios and tracking equipment we do.

We are also trained to fly in formation and do this type of shepherding.

We both knew that if we didnt get the plane below cloud he would eventually have run out of fuel and crashed. There was no other option.

Flt Lt Wilson, 30, said: It was not easy at all to pick our way through the holes but we finally got through and were able to land at Leuchars.

I feel fine now because we rescued them. But me and Ted did get out and shake each others hands when we landed!

The crews commanding officer, Wing Commander John Prescott, said: Im extremely proud of the crew. They have shown the ultimate professionalism and selflessness, and acted in the fine tradition of the Royal Air Force.

The RAF crew will now continue with their preparation for a five-week deployment to the Falkland Islands.