THREE PEOPLE were injured when a helicopter carrying journalists and the managing director of Guinness in Northern Ireland, Mr Brian Duffy, crashlanded yesterday in a field at Mullaghmeen about three miles outside Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh.
It is believed that the pilot, Mr Malcolm Reeve, lost control of the helicopter when the tail rotor splintered after it was struck by a bird at about 4 p.m.
The Civil Aviation Authority has ordered an investigation into the accident.
Two of the North's best known journalists, Mr Jim McDowell, of the Sunday World, and Ms Barbara McCann, of GMTV, were the passengers most seriously injured.
Ms McCann sustained back injuries and is believed to have a broken vertebra. Her condition was last night described as "ill but stable" and she was being moved from Erne Hospital in Enniskillen to Belfast City Hospital for further treatment.
Mr McDowell suffered leg injuries and the pilot was also injured. Their condition was described as "stable".
Mr Duffy and the third journalist on board, Mr Joe Kearney, of the Irish News, sustained no serious injuries, but were said to be "stiff and shaken".
Witnesses said that only the pilot's skill had prevented more serious casualties.
One of the passengers said that they had missed trees by yards when they crashlanded. "I think we would have been smashed to smithereens if that had happened," he said.
The stricken aircraft was one of three helicopters carrying a total of 15 people - 11 of them journalists on a Guinness promotional trip. They were flying from Florencecourt back to Belfast City Airport at the time.
Witnesses spoke of a bird having collided with the tail rotor of the helicopter shortly after take off, causing it to partially break off.
Mr Kearney said that the trouble started when they were about 500 feet in the air: "The helicopter started to spin really fast and the pilot shouted `May day'. It was spinning out of control and rapidly started falling to the ground from about 75 feet down. There was a violent thud. It hit the ground really hard. All the windows caved in.
Mr Jean Francois Jamel, the marketing director of Guinness, who was in one of the other aircraft, said: "I saw the helicopter coming down. I just couldn't believe it. It dropped like a dead leaf. I think the pilot was very good to get it landed. It was a perfect day. When something like this happens, it's a one in a million chance.
Ms McCann and Mr McDowell were airlifted to hospital by an RAF helicopter.
Emergency fire and ambulance crews had difficulty in locating the scene of the accident ana had to be guided to the wreckage by one of the other helicopters taking part in the promotional trip. Ambulance personnel treated those less seriously injured at the scene.