A father has told how he and his 12-year-old son cheated death - when two gliders collided 4,000 feet above the countryside.
Robert Tait, 44, chairman of the Highland Gliding Club, had taken to the air in a two-man aircraft as part of Deeside Gliding Club's UK Mountain Soaring Championship.
But Mr Tait's glider crashed into another member's plane and both were sent tumbling towards the earth on September 1.
Robert and his son Ruari had to deploy their parachutes before the glider smashed into farmland about five miles from the airstrip in Aboyne, Aberdeenshire.
The other pilot managed to guide his aircraft back to the clubhouse. Robert, who was hospitalised after suffering minor injuries, said the pair were "extremely lucky".
He said: "It was a close call but luckily all the training we do paid off. Once we realised we were going down and had to get out there was nothing more to it. Ruari carried out the parachute training to the letter and all three of us made it out safe. I'm extremely proud of him - there wasn't a single moment of panic."
A probe has been launched by the British Gliding Association to determine how the aircraft came so close.
Robert added: "When incidents like these occur it can give the sport a bad name. But I'd like to say that gliding isn't a risky sport."
A spokesman for Deeside Gliding Club said: "Investigations are under way."
The British Gliding Association was asked to lead the probe by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch. A BGA spokesman said: "We will try to understand what has happened to see if any lessons can be learned."
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