A FIVE-year-old boy who survived a horror plane crash which killed his father and seriously injured his grandad has paid tribute to his 'special daddy'.

Brave Daniel Nuttall spent more than a week recovering from serious facial injuries at Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool after a 'boys’ trip out' to North Wales ended in disaster.

Speaking exclusively to the Lancashire Telegraph, the youngster and his mum Michelle said they were trying to come to terms with the loss of lain Nuttall.

Now Michelle has pledged to teach Daniel all the things his dad didn’t get time to do such as play snooker.

Little Danie, who has had to have dozens of stitches closing a deep wound that runs across the bridge of his nose into both eye sockets, said: "He was my special daddy.

"He loved motorbikes and cars and he would sometimes let me sit on his bike.

"When me and daddy did things on our own we called it boys time.

"We went off roading once in daddy's Land Rover.

"I kept getting bumped around. It was so bumpy that daddy even popped the tyre.

"He was really good at wrestling too. He was always turning me upside down.”

A soldier in the Kings Own Royal Border Regiment for seven years, Iain had joined his father John Nuttall on one of his regular trips flying to Caernarfon from Blackpool Airport Iain's wife of 14 years Michelle, who lives in the Shadsworth area of Blackburn, said: “The first thing I knew about the crash was when I received a phone call from the police.

“I just couldn’t believe it. I was driven to Wales to be with Daniel and shortly after he was transferred to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital.

“The staff there were brilliant.

“They knew the situation and were really supportive.

“I stayed with Daniel the whole time. He really has made a miraculous recovery.”

John, 61, from Haslingden is a ‘seasoned pilot’ who regularly rents light aircrafts from Fly Blackpool for £145 an hour.

The four-seater Piper Cherokee crashed as it came down to land at one of the Welsh airport's two runways.

The family had planned to take in the sights and enjoy Sunday lunch before returning the plane later the same day.

Despite the best efforts of the emergency services, 37-year-old Iain was pronounced dead at the scene.

Daniel and his grandad, who suffered multiple lower leg injuries, were cut out by firefighters.

The pair, were taken to the Ysbyty Gwynedd hospital in Bangor before being transferred to specialist units. John is still being treated for his injuries.

Secondary school teacher Michelle, 35, said: “To people who hadn’t met him before, Iain came across as quiet but he was anything but.

“He was the sort of person that could speak to anyone.

“He touched the lives of everyone he knew, even those he had only known a short time.

“We met in a nightclub in Blackburn when I was 17.

“At that time he was in the army and had just been posted to Canada for six months. When he returned we bumped into each other again and since then we have been inseparable.

“He was my soul mate and best friend.

“I now intend to teach Daniel all the things his dad didn’t get time to do, like riding a motorbike and playing snooker.”

The pair married at St Peter’s Church, Darwen, in 1999.

Iain, who was originally from Haslingden, worked as a lorry driver for Accolade Logistics, in Clayton-le-Moors and had previously worked as security guard at Oswaldtwistle Mills.

The former Haslingden High pupil was cremated following a service at St Peter's Church, Darwen on Tuesday.

A joint investigation into the cause of the crash on shortly before 11.30am on May 19 has been launched by North Wales police and the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB).

The results of their findings are not expected to be revealed for months.

Donations in his memory are being collected for the Caernarfon Air Ambulance.