what3words app used to direct North Yorkshire emergency services to plane crash near Scarborough

The scene of the light aircraft crash - Image: Pickering Fire Station

Pickering Fire, Yorkshire Ambulance, and North Yorkshire Fire Control have hailed what3words, the innovative location technology used by over 85% of UK emergency services, for providing the precise location of a plane crash in Ebberston, near Scarborough, which allowed them to swiftly help the injured pilot.

A spokesperson for Pickering Fire Station said: “Thanks to the great information and location details provided by North Yorkshire Fire control room using ‘what3words’ to pinpoint the exact location of this incident.”

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service received the report of the crash at 2.43pm on Wednesday October 26.

The pilot was out of the plane on arrival and transported to hospital with non life-threatening injuries.

Fire crews assisted with the fuel leaking from the plane and stood by until it was recovered.

The latest data in a voluntary survey of police, fire and ambulance services, found that for over half (56%) of emergency services receiving daily calls from people who don’t know exactly where they are or struggle to describe the location of an incident, what3words is a critical tool for supporting emergency services across the UK.

The survey also found that 78% of UK Emergency Services surveyed agree with the statement “what3words saves us time”, with almost one quarter saying that what3words saves over ten minutes per call.