Seven people have been injured after an RAF Chinook helicopter made an emergency landing in the United States - in what is being described as a "mishap".
The crew was practising how to land the aircraft when "something went wrong," said US military spokeswoman Michelle Dee.
She said those on board had minor injuries and were taken to hospital as a precaution.
An investigation is under way into the incident which happened during military exercises in a remote, unpopulated area of the southern US.
The aircraft was damaged in the landing in the Arizona desert, 15 miles north-east of Yuma, but it is not known how badly, the spokeswoman added.
A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: "We can confirm that an RAF Chinook helicopter made an emergency landing during military exercises in the southern US yesterday. The incident is under investigation."
The aircraft was believed to be operating out of the Naval Air Facility El Centro in California's Imperial Valley, which hosts allied troops throughout the year.
The mountainous area has a similar environment to those faced by soldiers in Afghanistan.
In February, seven US Marines were killed when two helicopters crashed in mid-air during a routine exercise over the Yuma Training Range Complex.
The RAF operates the largest fleet of Chinook Support Helicopters after the US Army, with a total of 34 HC2s, 6 HC2As and 8 HC3s.
It describes the aircraft as "a very capable and versatile support helicopter that can be operated in many diverse environments ranging from cold weather 'arctic' conditions to desert warfare operations".
