Complex sentence: The flight was expected to take about a quarter of an hour but, due to strong winds and cloud banks, Rossy ditched into the sea, to be picked up ten minutes later by his support helicopter three miles from the Spanish coast.
Split into simpler sentences: The flight was expected to take about a quarter of an hour. Due to strong winds and cloud banks, Rossy was forced to ditch into the sea; picked up (ten minutes later) by his support helicopter--just three miles from the Spanish coast.