Fishermen onboard the trawler Semper Allegro pulled three men out of the sea 10 minutes after their plane crashed three miles off the Islands.
The plane was a part of a group of nine flying from Land’s End for a day trip to the Islands.
The passengers, Arthur Record and Denis Stanley, both 82, and pilot Bernard Maslin, 79 were former rescue helicopter pilots.
Mr Record commented on the landing: “Bernard did a superb, classic ditch landing.” Mr Maslin guided the Cessna down from 2000 feet (600 metres) six or seven miles from the Islands after their engine cut out. They noticed the trawler and decided that to glide down as near as possible to it was the best chance.
Mr Record added: “We all had lifejackets on - I would not be here to tell the tale if I had not.”
The three men were air lifted by RNAS Culdrose Seaking helicopters to Treliske Hospital, Truro. All men are OK.
Mr Stanley told Westcountry News: “the windscreen came in and a lot of water came into the cockpit and when we opened the doors by that time it was up to our chins we let go of our straps took our headsets off and evacuated through both sides”.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cornwall/3165932.stm BBC News: “Plane pilot stays in hospital”
http://www.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30100-12810488,00.html SkyNews: “OAPs Survive Plane Crash”
http://www2.itv.com/carltonwestcountry/news/full_story/?id=790943&type=WCNEWS+-+News+Story Westcountry News: “Downed Airman Is Comfortable”