Anne Geisow remained calm as the drama unfolded Pilot talked down

Flying officer Anne Geisow helped a Russian pilot land safely in a storm despite low fuel and language problems.

She had to divert another plane as she worked at RAF Lossiemouth to prevent a possible collision.

Now a Flight Lieutenant, she was congratulated on Tuesday by Prime Minister Gordon Brown as part of the annual Vodafone Life Savers Awards.

Her night of drama unfolded while she was the only air traffic controller on duty on only her ninth shift.

We are lost so we need your help Russian pilot

The Russian pilot flying a single engine plane from Iceland to Wick found himself in trouble.

The airport he was heading for was shut and he did not know the military airfields at Kinloss or Lossiemouth. He was low on fuel, unable to reach either Aberdeen or the Faroe Islands.

Flight Lieutenant Geisow heard his calls for help but found it difficult to understand as his English was limited.

His message was: "We are lost so we need your help."

She managed to get the plane locked onto an electronic beam that would help him land at Kinloss when the situation became much worse.

Radar failed

Violent wind and rain blew the plane off the beam and the pilot could not find it again.

Circling at 800ft, he was coming close to the radio masts less than 200ft below.

One of Flight Lieutenant Geisow's radars then failed and the pilot's instruments started malfunctioning.

The flight controller was honoured at Downing Street

A Royal Mail plane was also approaching and she knew she must divert it.

She stayed calm, diverted the Royal Mail plane, then gave the Russian pilot the instructions he needed to find the beam again while avoiding the radio masts.

She knew his fuel was virtually exhausted and there may be no second chance on the landing.

The Russian plane landed with only fumes in the fuel tanks.

She said: "When the call came through I was horrified, I did not know what to expect.

"It was a nightmare, he was weaving about. But this is the job that you do and you try to do it well."

Nominating her for a Vodafone Life Savers award, RAF chief press officer in Scotland Michael Mulford said there was no doubt she saved at least one life and averted a potential tragedy.

Nick Read, Vodafone UK chief executive officer, said: "The entries this year were truly inspiring and selecting just 10 from so many deserving stories was an extremely tough task.

"However, this story shone out as a particularly inspiring example of the brave actions carried out by so many men and women in our emergency services, whose everyday work and dedication we all too often take for granted.

"Without the brave efforts of Anne Geisow that day, the outcome would most certainly have been one of tragedy and Vodafone is delighted to have the opportunity of honouring her in these national awards."