1965 losses

11/01/1965 XG335 B Lightning F1/3 AFDS Due to failure of the side stay bracket the starboard undercarriage leg would not fully lower. The pilot was directed to the emergency bale out area over Larkhill Ranges and ejected safely. The aircraft crashed into open ground at Woodbourgh, Wiltshire after severing several high tension cables
14/01/1965 XR658 36 Gnat T1 4 FTS Suffered engine vibration on take off from Valley, Anglesey. The engine cut while the pilot was attempting an emergency landing. It crashed into the undershoot area, seriously damaging the nose. To the Exhibition Flt as 7874M
18/01/1965 XL501 R-432 Gannet AEW3 849 NAS Rolled over the port side of HMS Ark Royal whilst in the Moray Firth after the brakes failed whilst being pushed into the No.2 deck spot. One of the two crew were killed
22/01/1965 XN698 V-458 Sea Vixen FAW1 893 NAS The pilot misjudged his approach to HMS Victorious while operating in the China Sea off Okinawa. He attempted to go round again but the aircraft stalled as it lifted off the deck. The starboard wing struck two parked aircraft and it then crashed into the sea killing both crew
03/02/1965 XH231 D Canberra B(I)8 3 Sqn Flew into a hillside near Osnabruck, West Germany during a low level exercise in poor visibility. Both crew were killed
10/02/1965 XN709 R-246 Sea Vixen FAW1 890 NAS The aircraft was launched from HMS Ark Royal before it had developed full power. It lost height and ditched into the Moray Firth twenty miles NNE of Lossiemouth, Morayshire 200 yards ahead of the ship. The pilot was injured but the observer was killed
15/02/1965 XF939 BY-659 Hunter T8C 759 NAS Crashed near Brawdy, Pembrokeshire following an inflight fire, both crew ejected safely
23/02/1965 XG881 451 Gannet T2 849 Sqn HQ Flt Crashed into St. Brides Bay during a GCA let down to Brawdy, Pembrokeshire after control was lost when power was reduced past the idle gate. Both crew were killed
23/02/1965 XP889   Scout AH1 AAC Centre Crashed and rolled onto its side on Sidbury Hill near Everleigh, Wiltshire after engine failure during take off following a precautionary landing to re-select radio channels. The engine failure was caused by a blockage in the fuel pipe
26/02/1965 XJ483 R-249 Sea Vixen FAW1 890 NAS Damaged when it landed heavily on HMS Ark Royal while operating in the Moray Firth causing the port undercarriage leg to collapse. To Brough for repair but these were abandoned and it went to Yeovilton for spares
28/02/1965 XM931 R-321 Wessex HAS1 819 NAS Suffered an engine failure in heavy snow whilst serving as the plane guard for HMS Ark Royal. It ditched into the North Sea fifteen miles south east of Wick and sank
02/03/1965 XP253   Auster AOP9 6 Flt/2 Wing Flew into HT cables and crashed into Haylers Wood, Broughton, Hants killing the three crew
03/03/1965 XH833 I Javelin FAW9 60 Sqn The pilot aborted take off from Butterworth, Malaysia after the 1st stage port engine compressor failed causing the engine to explode. This punctured the ventral tank and, before the pilot could jettison it, a fire spread to the whole aircraft. He escaped safely
05/03/1965 WL680   Varsity T1 CAW Written off in a forced landing at Stewton near Louth, Lincolnshire after an engine cut during an asymmetric overshoot at Manby
05/03/1965 XP108 BE Wessex HAS1 845 NAS Suffered an engine failure forcing the pilot to make a forced landing into a river bed ten miles south of Nanga Gaat landing area, Sarawak, Borneo. Before the aircraft could be recovered the river rose 10ft during the night and helicopter was crushed by the rock bed and washed away
05/03/1965 XP252   Auster AOP9 6 Flt The aircraft swung to starboard during braking on landing at Famagusta, Cyprus. The pilot attempted an overshoot but the elevator struck a concrete bollard. It then veered to starboard and ran into a ditch. The crew were uninjured
08/03/1965 XJ478 VL-711 Sea Vixen FAW1 766 NAS Stalled during a low speed downwind turn and dived into a field at Limington two miles from Yeovilton, Somerset. Both crew were killed
09/03/1965 XR542 15 Gnat T1 4 FTS Written off in an emergency landing at Valley, Anglesey after engine failure
11/03/1965 WH231 8 Meteor T7 ETPS The Indian Air Force pilot lost control during a simulated port engine failure on approach to Farnborough, Hampshire when the starboard engine failed. It yawed violently and rolled inverted before descending vertically into the ground at Cove killing the pilot. The engine failure was attributed to a foreign object no bigger than a grain of salt which had held a ball valve off its seat and bled off the servo pressure
13/03/1965 XA305   Cadet TX3 613 GS Crashed near Halton, Bucks after a wing struck a tree
24/03/1965 XS123 E-291 Wessex HAS1 820 NAS Ditched into the sea off the Malayan Coast 500 yards off HMS Eagle due to suspected engine failure. The port flotation bag collapsed and the helicopter sank
26/03/1965 WV319 VL-949 Hunter T8C Instrument Training Flt Suffered an engine failure on take-off from Yeovilton, Somerset, both crew ejected safely
01/04/1965 XS696 6 Kestrel FGA1 Tripartite Evaluation Sqn Caught fire on take off from West Raynham, Norfolk and was declared a write off
06/04/1965 XR985 54 Gnat T1 4 FTS Crashed on landing at Valley, Anglesey. The nose was allocated to Crash Rescue Training at Valley
07/04/1965 XS487 CU-U Wessex HU5 707 NAS After taking off from Old Sarum, the aircraft struck a tree whilst making a night landing and crashed at Imber Village, Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire
08/04/1965 XE374 LM-982 Sea Hawk FGA6 Lossiemouth Station Flt Crashed into Loch Nam, Bannach near Beauly, Inverness-shire following an in flight fire at 2,000ft. Pilot ejected safely
09/04/1965 XS164 X Hiller HT2 845 NAS The tail rotor struck the ground during take off from a landing zone in Sarawak, Borneo. The pilot landed and inspected the damage then took off again. The tail rotor then detached and the aircraft spun into the jungle twenty miles east of Nanga Gaat killing the pilot. The aircraft was operating off HMS Bulwark
12/04/1965 XS151 B-R Wessex HAS1 845 NAS The rotor blades touched when returning from an operational sortie during a turn to land at Nanga Gaat, Sarawak. Borneo. Both helicopters crashed into a river killing all but one of the nine on board
12/04/1965 XS154 B-V Wessex HAS1 845 NAS
20/04/1965 XM428 12 Jet Provost T3 3 FTS Collided over Northallerton, North Yorks and crashed. Three crew ejected but the fourth was killed
20/04/1965 XN631 8 Jet Provost T3 3 FTS
21/04/1965 XJ577 V-464 Sea Vixen FAW1 893 NAS Both engines caught fire immediately after a boost launch from HMS Victorious while operating in the East China Sea off Okinawa. The crew ejected but the observer was killed
22/04/1965 XR950 27 Gnat T1 4 FTS Following a mid-air collision during formation flying practice XS108 crashed at Carmel south of Caernarfon. XR950 flew back to Valley, Anglesey but cartwheeled on landing and was written off. Both pilots were killed
22/04/1965 XS108 15 Gnat T1 4 FTS
30/04/1965 XM525   Skeeter AOP12 4 Flt The aircraft lost height in a left hand turn during a formation display practice at Munster, West Germany with three other Skeeters. The pilot was unable to recover the aircraft and it struck the ground hard at Dorbaum which broke off the nose wheel oleo. The main rotors then struck the ground and the aircraft rolled onto its left side. The two crew were uninjured
30/04/1965 XD270 E-113 Scimitar F1 800 NAS, B Flt Crashed following a double flame out while operating from HMS Eagle off Malaysia, pilot ejected safely
02/05/1965 XN197 M Cadet TX3 624 GS Written off at Exeter, Devon, no further details.
05/05/1965 WT916   Cadet TX3 662 GS Written off in a flying accident at Arbroath, Angus. Presumably the loss of XE796 below is connected
05/05/1965 XE796   Cadet TX3 662 GS Written off in a flying accident at Arbroath, Angus. Presumably the loss of WT916 above is connected
08/05/1965 XM560   Skeeter AOP12 5 Flt The aircraft entered low cloud shortly after take off from the Isle of Mon, Denmark during exercise ‘Island Queen’ The pilot became disorientated and attempted a forced landing. It struck the ground port side first and burst into flames. One of the three crew were killed
09/05/1965 XP154 B-D Wessex HAS1 845 NAS Sank back into the trees and crashed soon after take off from a landing strip in Borneo while attempting to lift a large underslung load
13/05/1965 XK524   Buccaneer S1 HSA Loss of tailplane effectiveness was experienced as the airbrake was retracted during low level accelerations at 1,500ft. Both crew ejected and the aircraft crashed at Land of Nod, Lincolnshire near Holme-on-Spalding Moor
15/05/1965 XP854   Scout AH1 18 Flt The engine failed due to blocked oil filters. During the subsequent autorotation at Oberhausen, West Germany the pilot pulled up the collective lever early to avoid some houses. This lost him main rotor speed which resulted in a heavy landing. Of the three crew the pilot was slightly injured. To Westlands for repair but declared a write off. Allocated to TAD043 at Middle Wallop
22/05/1965 XF682   Provost T52 SOAF Crashed in Oman
25/05/1965 XS118   Wessex HAS1 Rolls Royce Ltd Force landed onto the M1 motorway workings one mile NW of Hucknall aerodrome, Nottinghamshire after a flame had emitted from the starboard jet pipe. It overturned injuring the two crew
25/05/1965 XM576   Vulcan B2 27 Sqn Crashed landed at Scampton, Lincolnshire after drifting to the left and attempting to overshoot during an unsuccessful asymmetric approach. It came to rest in a car park but all the crew escaped safely
29/05/1965 KJ955   Dakota C4 Middle East Comm Flt Blown up by a terrorist bomb at Khormaksar, Aden
31/05/1965 XN648 VL-716 Sea Vixen FAW1 766 NAS Entered a spin at 28,000 feet during a fighter tactics sortie and crashed near Little Kneeset one mile SSW of Cranmere Pool on Dartmoor, Devon. The pilot could not recover the aircraft and both crew ejected safely
01/06/1965 XG206 E Hunter F6 DFCS Dived from cloud into the North Sea off St. Abbs Head, Berwick. The pilot was killed
02/06/1965 WT481 L Canberra T4 39 Sqn Crashed into the Mediterranean 35 miles SW of Malta after loss of control in cloud. The three crew were killed
11/06/1965 WP986   Chipmunk T10 7 AEF Crashed after it was overrun by the glider that it was towing at South Cerney, Gloucs. It was on detachment as a glider tug for the World Gliding Championships
15/06/1965 XR377   Alouette AH2 26 Flt The aircraft struck power cables in a narrow valley at Birkenhordt, West Germany during exercise ‘Road Master’ It began to break up and disintegrated on impact with the ground. The three crew were thrown out but one was killed. The other two were badly injured
22/06/1965 XH877 C Javelin FAW9R 64 Sqn The aircraft had been directed to investigate a radar contact which turned out to be a Borneo Airways Dakota. The port engine of the Javelin exploded as it passed the Dakota forcing the crew to eject. The aircraft crashed near Tawau, Sabah, Borneo and the Dakota circled the area until help arrived for the two crew
25/06/1965 XN961 LM-634 Buccaneer S1 736 NAS Struck a hillside five miles west of Helmsdale, Highland in poor weather during a sortie on the Tain range. The crew did not eject and were killed
27/06/1965 WZ727   Auster AOP9 2 Regt Anglian Platoon Damaged when the pilot made a precautionary landing on rough ground near Episkopi, Cyprus due to suspected high oil temperature. It then tipped over after running into a mound of soft earth. The engine had in fact been operating normally. The faulty reading on the temperature gauge was caused by a short circuit. The aircraft was later declared a write off
26/06/1965 XR712 B Lightning F3 111 Sqn During a display at Exeter Airport, Devon a fire broke out in the rear jet pipe. A return to St. Mawgan, Cornwall was attempted but the pilot was forced to eject over Watergate Bay, St. Mawgan
29/06/1965 WG662 28 Dragonfly HR3 ETPS During an auto rotation exercise the pilot allowed rotor RPM to decay which induced loss of cyclic control. The aircraft entered a steady descent and struck the ground at Hog’s Back east of Frensham, Surrey. Both pilots were thrown from the aircraft when their harnesses sheared but one was killed when the aircraft yawed violently to starboard and rolled onto him
03/07/1965 XP402 X Whirlwind HAR10 230 Sqn The engine failed while in a high hover during an air display. The pilot was unable to control the subsequent ditching into Victoria Harbour off Labuan, Sabah, Borneo and all the crew suffered serious back injuries
06/07/1965 TG577   Hastings C1A 23/36 Sqns Shortly after take off from Abingdon, Oxfordshire with six crew and 35 paratroops on board, the pilot reported control problems. The aircraft crashed at Nuneham Courtney, killing all on board. This was the RAF’s worst fatal accident. The cause was found to have been due to a fracture in the starboard outer elevator rigger due to fatigue in two bolts. All Hastings were grounded until modifications were carried out
08/07/1965 XP144 PO-775 Wessex HAS1 737 NAS Suffered engine failure whilst in a 35ft hover. It rolled to starboard and ditched into the English Channel nine miles off Portland, Dorset
14/07/1965 WT324   Canberra B(I)6 213 Sqn Ingested a bird into an engine and spun into the ground at Roermond, Netherlands while on an asymmetric approach to Bruggen, West Germany. The three crew were killed
15/07/1965 XD268 E-112 Scimitar F1 800 NAS Crashed at Duffus, Morayshire after engine failure while on approach to Lossiemouth
19/07/1965 XR543 55 Gnat T1 4 FTS Crashed into Llyn Maelog while on approach to Valley, Anglesey killing the pilot
20/07/1965 XT141   Sioux AH1 AAC Centre The pilot failed to switch on the landing light during a night time approach to Middle Wallop, Hampshire. He became disorientated which resulted in a heavy landing in the undershoot area. Allocated to Middle.Wallop as 8509M
22/07/1966 XM966   Lightning T4 BAC Crashed into the Irish Sea twelve miles off St. Bees Head, Cumberland after losing its tail fin and rudder due to yawing instability. The crew ejected safely at Mach 2
23/07/1965 XG540   Sycamore HR14 MCS Overturned in a forced landing at Henton near Chinnor, Oxfordshire after the engine cut. To display at Shawbury main gate
29/07/1965 XN603 7 Jet Provost T3 6 FTS Crashed at Eshott four miles SW of Acklington, Northumberland after the crew ejected due to a false fire warning
08/1965 XD229   Scimitar F1 ERAE Weapons Flt Badly damaged in a ground hydraulics accident at West Freugh, Wigtown. Stripped for spares and allocated to the fire dump there
09/08/1965 XR245   Auster AOP9 14/20th Hussars Suffered total engine failure on take off from Derna, Libya on a casevac sortie. The pilot attempted to return to base but the aircraft lost height and crashed onto the side of a hill. Both occupants escaped safely. Caused by the fatigue failure of the air intake flap valve
15/08/1969 WB948   Sedbergh TX1 2 GC Written off at Spitalgate, Lincs. Sold to the RAFGSA and became BGA1521
18/08/1965 XE804   Cadet TX3 1 GC Dived into the ground at Swanton Morley, Norfolk
30/08/1965 XD328 R-105 Scimitar F1 803 NAS Took the barrier when landing on HMS Ark Royal when operating off Malaysia. To Fleetlands for repair but was scrapped
03/09/1965 XH911 J Javelin FAW9 5 Sqn Written off in an engine start fire at Geilenkirchen, West Germany
03/09/1965 XH760 B Javelin FAW9 11 Sqn Suffered CAT 4 damage was later declared CAT5, no further details. To Cranwell as 7892M
06/09/1965 XR979 45 Gnat T1 4 FTS The pilot raised the undercarriage and flaps too early during take off from Valley, Anglesey. The aircraft sank back onto the runway when he reduced power and was damaged beyond repair
08/09/1965 XP953 E-133 Sea Vixen FAW2 899 NAS The pilot lost control of the aircraft while on approach to HMS Eagle operating in the Mediterranean off Malta. The port wing struck the deck as it missed the wires, it then climbed steeply, stalled to port and struck the sea inverted. Both crew were killed
09/09/1965 XP245   Auster AOP9 14/20th Hussars Crashed in Libya after suffering an engine failure after take off
10/09/1965 WN456 811 Gannet AS1 816 Sqn RAN Crashed into the sea off HMAS Melbourne
16/09/1965 XR242   Auster AOP9 21 Flt Suffered engine failure shortly after take off from Episkopi, Cyprus. A forced landing was made which resulted in the port undercarriage collapsing. The three crew were uninjured
20/09/1965 XD223 R-031 Scimitar F1 803 NAS Took off from HMS Ark Royal for an engine flight test. The port engine failed to relight after being shut down and the pilot diverted to Changi, Singapore. He ejected while on approach after suffering port generator and hydraulic failure 300 yards off the runway which caused the controls to lock. Allocated to the fire dump at Changi
20/09/1965 XR599   Scout AH1 7 Flt/656 Sqn Went missing on a night flight from Lundu to Kuching, Sarawak, Borneo. Only small parts of the aircraft wreckage were dredged up by a fisherman. The three persons on board were killed
21/09/1965 XJ410   Whirlwind HAR10 22 Sqn During a dry winching exercise on the airfield at Chivenor, Devon the crew were scrambled to search for a swimmer. While flying at speed in a nose down attitude it flew under and struck power lines spanning the river Torridge at Bideford. This removed the tail rotor 
and the helicopter fell into the shallow river mouth. The four crew escaped without injury. The swimmer turned out to be a false alarm as it was found to be a large log
25/09/1965 XP327 A Whirlwind HAR10 225 Sqn While searching for Scout XR599 (20th Sept) the main rotor blades disconnected due to a maintenance error. It crashed into the jungle 45 miles from Kuching, Sarawak, Borneo killing the five crew
27/09/1965 XD623 64 Vampire T11 3/4 CAACU Landed heavily at Exeter Airport, Devon. Wreck allocated to the fire dump there
29/09/1965 XP739 H Lightning F3 111 Sqn Crashed at Battisford Hall three miles NE of Wattisham, Suffolk after a double flame out. The pilot ejected safely
09/10/1965 XN969 E-106 Buccaneer S1 800 NAS Suffered double fuel proportioner failure while operating off HMS Eagle in the Gulf of Aden 40 miles SW of Khormaksar. With engines set at 86% port and 81% starboard this was insufficient to enable the aircraft to maintain height. The crew ejected at 2,000ft in the vicinity of the ship and were rescued
12/10/1965 XL478 070 Gannet AEW2 849 NAS The launch bridle detached during the initial launch sequence from HMS Eagle while operating off Malaya. Despite the use of brakes it ran slowly over the side of the ship into the sea. Both crew were rescued
13/10/1965 XE320 S-D Sycamore HR14 CFS Crashed at night at Peplow, Shropshire killing the student pilot after he lost control
19/10/1965 XH904 T Javelin FAW9 5 Sqn Damaged in a ground accident. To 27 MU at Shawbury for repairs. As 5 Squadron were soon to disband on the Javelin it was not repaired and was sold for scrap during November 1967
25/10/1965 WT810 LM-694 Hunter GA11 764 NAS Collided over the Buchan Coast. One aircraft crashed into the North Sea off Scaurs of Cruden, Central Scotland. The other crashed near Auchanabo Slains. Both pilots ejected safely
25/10/1965 WT712 LM Hunter GA11 764 NAS
02/11/1965 WP494 CU-93 Dragonfly HR5 Culdrose Station Flt Loss of control while hovering at Predannack, Cornwall resulted in a heavy landing. This broke off the tail cone and it was not repaired
03/11/1965 XE308   Sycamore HR14 WHL Rolled rapidly to port after take off from Boscombe Down, Wiltshire. The pilot was unable to correct the role and the aircraft struck the ground and came to rest on its port side. Both crew escaped without injury
08/11/1965 XH887 B Javelin FAW9R 64 Sqn The undercarriage would not lower so the crew ejected five miles off Changi, Singapore. See XH959 below
08/11/1965 XH959 U Javelin FAW9R 64 Sqn While carrying out a night ASR search for the crew of the above aircraft, XH949 flew into the sea from 200ft at approximately the same location as XH887. The navigator was rescued along with the crew from XH887 but the pilot was killed
09/11/1965 XG792 M-813 Gannet AS1 816 Sqn/RAN Crashed into the Sea off HMAS Melbourne during take off
10/11/1965 WT330   Canberra B(I)8 3 Sqn During take off from Akrotiri, Cyprus the port engine failed. The pilot abandoned take off but the aircraft overshot the runway and ran into Akrotiri Salt Lake. Wreck to the fire dump
12/11/1965 XM406 7 Jet Provost T3 2 FTS Crashed at Newark, Notts after failing to recover from a spin. The pilot ejected safely
15/11/1965 XP621 39 Jet Provost T4 3 FTS Crashed near Leeming, Yorkshire, after the crew ejected due to a false fire warning
17/11/1965 XH749 Q Javelin FAW9 60 Sqn Ground looped on landing at Butterworth, Malaysia after a tyre burst
17/11/1965 XR480 H Whirlwind HAR10 103 Sqn During a supply drop mission to a border outpost in Sarawak, Borneo, the crew misidentified landmarks. It strayed over the border into Indonesia and was shot down by AA. The wreckage and both crew have never been found
18/11/1965 XE459 030 Sea Hawk FGA6 Airwork FRU Crashed 11 miles north of Meopham Station, Kent. To Lee-on-Solent Accident Investigation Unit and passed on to Fleetlands, finally being sold as scrap during March 1969
20/11/1965 XN958 E-111 Buccaneer S1 800 NAS Bolted following a high approach to HMS Eagle while operating off Singapore. On leaving the deck it yawed to port and lost height. Both crew ejected at 20ft and were rescued. The yaw was possibly induced by a binding brake when the aircraft touched the deck
23/11/1965 WV397   Hunter T8C 759 NAS Crashed into the sea off Brawdy, Pembrokeshire after the crew had ejected following a fire warning. The pilot was rescued but the student drowned
24/11/1965 XT171 P Sioux AH1 ARWF The student pilot became disorientated after entering cloud during a night sortie. The aircraft descended and struck the ground heavily near Wilton, Wiltshire. The pilot received major injuries
05/12/1965 XP777   Beaver AL1 15 Flt The aircraft encountered a down draught on take off from Al Ajara in the Aden Protectorate. The tail struck the lip of a hollow at the end of the strip causing the aircraft to belly down and break off the undercarriage. One of the two crew were injured
08/12/1965 XF704 L Shackleton MR3 201 Sqn Crashed into the Moray Firth eight miles north of Kinloss, Morayshire while making a finals turn to land. All seven on board were killed
11/12/1965 XN347   Skeeter AOP12 655 Sqn/23 Flt Suffered engine failure due to crank shaft failure on take off following a precautionary landing at Iserlohn, West Germany in a snow storm. It landed heavily on an embankment and rolled onto its starboard side. One of the two crew were injured
14/12/1965 XS497 AS Wessex HU5 848 NAS Crashed inverted after the main engine bearing failed while on approach to Bau, Sarawak, Borneo
22/12/1965 WP968   Chipmunk T10 Manchester UAS Flew into Winter Hill near Bolton, Lancashire during a descent through low cloud
31/12/1965 XD318 R-025 Scimitar F1 803 NAS Crashed into the sea off Malaysia after engine failure while operating off HMS Ark Royal

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