Snow lucky to be alive after crash

The BBC is considering releasing footage showing a plane crash which nearly claimed the lives of TV presenter Peter Snow and his film crew.

The veteran newsman, 61, said he was "unbelievably lucky" after the light aircraft he was in travelling crashed in woodland last night.

The Tomorrow's World presenter told BBC Radio 5 Live that he and his production team could hardly believe they were unharmed after their small De Havilland Beaver plane crashed into trees just west of Seattle, in the United States.

In a statement the BBC said all those on board had been taken to hospital and released with no injuries, with the exception of assistant producer Bronwen Ley, who was kept in overnight for observation.

"The Federal Aviation Authority is looking into the accident and we will await the outcome of their enquiries before taking a decision to release the footage," the statement added.

The corporation also confirmed that the others involved in the crash were 36-year-old assistant producer Ley, cameraman Michael Garner, 44, and soundman Mark Cardoza, 37.

Mr Snow, who is famous for his 'swingometer' and statistical analysis for the BBC during elections and Newsnight, said: "I'm fine. I thought I would have an exciting life if I joined Tomorrow's World but I never expected an air crash."

Speaking from America, he added: "We had an extraordinarily lucky escape. We were filming Tomorrow's World over an island just off Seattle, and we suddenly lost height.

"We were coming up over a hill and we obviously weren't high enough. We hit the tops of the trees and then that was it.

"The tail of the plane is 50ft up in a tree. We were unbelievably lucky to have come down in that particular part of the wood because the trees there were very, very tall but very young and supple and they somehow cradled the plane."

The single-engined seaplane in which Snow and the team were travelling was owned by Kenmore Air Harbor Inc, which has been in business for 54 years.

It had taken off from Lake Union in Seattle for what was to be a two-hour flight, Kenmore spokeswoman Leslie Banks said.

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