万花筒 2008-08-20&-08-21 飞机卷进高压线（在线收听）

The aftermath of a freak accident: This small sports plane got stuck in power lines in southern Germany. The 65-year-old pilot was about to land at a regional airport in the Allgäu region when his plane touched the 380, 000 volt power lines. The plane's carriage got stuck in the cables, and the pilot and his wife who was also on board were left dangling while rescuers worked to get them down safely.

But hanging upside down meant the passengers' physical condition quickly worsened. Edmund Martin from Kempten Police says it was a tricky rescue operation.

“Problem was we wanted to save them with a helicopter, but the so-called downwash, the turbulence under the helicopter made it impossible to get close from above.”

"The plane's passengers", described as a local couple, “were in constant radio contact with the emergency services during the rescue operation. And after over two hours hanging upside down, cherry pickers were used to bring them to safety.

Joanna Partridge, Reuters