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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Emma Wilson

Sarah Greene and Mike Smith got engaged after helicopter crash almost killed them both

Sarah Greene and Mike Smith got engaged weeks after a helicopter crash almost killed them both.

Back in September 1988, the former Radio 1 presenter, who was a qualified pilot, was flying the helicopter across Gloucestershire with Sarah, his then-girlfriend, as his passenger.

But the couple were badly injured when the helicopter crashed into trees as it was trying to make an emergency landing,

Mike bought the two-seater aircraft after he became a qualified pilot in February, and he and Sarah were on their way to visit friends near Cheltenham when the horrifying accident occurred.

The BBC presenters miraculously survived the crash, and two eyewitnesses helped pull the couple - who were conscious - from the wreckage after seeing the helicopter hit the ground.

Sarah was left with two broken legs and a broken arm, and Mike sustained a broken back and ankle.

They were taken to hospital and discharged after four weeks, and Sarah returned to her co-host Going Live! alongside Phillip Schofield with her legs still in plaster.

Just weeks after the almost fatal crash, Mike proposed to Sarah, and the loved-up couple were married in 1989.

Mike popped the question just weeks after the accident (Corbis via Getty Images)
Less than a year after the crash, the couple tied the knot (PA)

The radio and TV star was cleared of any blame in the accident by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch, who concluded there was no fault with the helicopter.

“Examination of the helicopter (including flight control, fuel, engine control, dynamic systems and the engine itself) revealed no failure or unserviceability that could have resulted in a loss of rotor speed,” they wrote.

Mike claimed the aircraft - a Robinson R22 Beta helicopter - lost power while he was trying to land.

The smitten couple, pictured here in 2008, were happily married until Mike's death in 2014 (Getty Images)
Sarah said her late husband urged her to find love again (Julian Makey/REX)

He was a prominent figure on TV and radio in the early 1980s - and was one of the faces of Comic Relief - but following the helicopter crash, Mike and Sarah stepped away from the limelight.

The couple, who lived in London, were happily married until 2014, when Mike sadly passed away from complications following recent major heart surgery.

The former Radio 1 breakfast show host was just 59.

Sarah recently announced she has found love again with Mike’s close friend, ex-British touring car champion Robb Gravett.

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