How my first trip abroad turned from happiness to horror

A plane crash in Spain when she was just 11 left a lasting impression on the First Minister, writes Ruth Mosalski

- Ruth Mosalski

WALES' First Minister Eluned Morgan has spoken about a plane crash she and her family were involved in while returning to Wales from a holiday in Spain.

Mrs Morgan was 11 when, along with her parents and siblings, the plane they were in crashed on their return from a family holiday. Her family, including parents Bob and Elaine Morgan and brothers, all survived, although her mother had to be pulled out unconscious and her brother was left with a broken spine and had to remain immobile for months afterwards.

The family, she explained, had been offered a free holiday to Spain including being flown on a small plane. After two weeks away they were flying back from Malaga when the plane had to refuel in Bilbao.

Fog and mist meant the pilot had to go in via the sea to reach the landing strip but the weather conditions meant the landing was complicated. The engine stalled and they crashed onto a golf course.

Mrs Morgan explained: "I was 11 years old. We'd never been abroad before. Only rich people went abroad in 1978 and somebody offered us a free holiday and we couldn't take them up on it because we couldn't fly a family of six out to Spain, but somebody offered to fly us in their plane."

She said: "I think my dad got overexcited about this and accepted the offer and off we went. We had two lovely weeks in Spain. On the way back we had to refuel in Bilbao."