Shetland star Douglas Henshall experienced a real-life drama far more terrifying than any scripted scene when his private plane was forced to make an emergency landing during filming for the hit BBC crime series.
The actor, who played DI Jimmy Perez in the Scottish detective drama, was travelling in a small aircraft when smoke began filling the cockpit, forcing the pilot to execute an immediate emergency procedure.
A Real-Life Crisis at 10,000 Feet
"We were flying at about 10,000 feet when suddenly there was smoke in the cockpit," Henshall revealed in a recent interview. "The pilot had to put his oxygen mask on and declare an emergency."
The terrifying incident occurred while the cast and crew were filming on location in Shetland's remote landscapes, where light aircraft are often used to transport people and equipment between the scattered islands.
From Fiction to Reality: When Drama Turns Real
While Henshall's character regularly faces dangerous situations in the award-winning series, this was one crisis that wasn't in the script. The actor described the moment the plane began its emergency descent as particularly harrowing.
"We came down very, very quickly," he recalled. "It was quite dramatic - much more dramatic than anything we were filming at the time."
The Aftermath and Return to Filming
Miraculously, the emergency landing was executed successfully, and all passengers emerged unharmed. However, the incident left a lasting impression on the cast and crew, who had to quickly regroup and continue with their filming schedule.
The experience highlighted the very real challenges of filming in Shetland's unique and sometimes unforgiving environment, where production teams regularly contend with unpredictable weather and complex logistics.
Shetland has become one of the BBC's most successful crime dramas, praised for its stunning Scottish landscapes and compelling storytelling. The series continues to draw millions of viewers, though few would suspect the behind-the-scenes dramas that occasionally rival the on-screen action.
