09/01/1973 |
XD219 |
|
Scimitar
F1 |
RAE |
During
braking trials at Farnborough, Hampshire it failed to engage the arrestor
gear at 100 kts. It struck a concrete block which removed the nose wheel
causing the aircraft to break its back. This was a non flying aircraft
with the outer wings removed |
24/01/1973 |
XW535 |
|
Buccaneer
S2B |
16
Sqn |
Control
was lost after the pilot took evasive action to avoid a collision. The
crew ejected and it crashed at Minden, West Germany |
06/02/1973 |
XL110 |
T |
Whirlwind
HAR10 |
84
Sqn |
Crashed
at Nicosia, Cyprus after the main rotor seized in a hover |
06/02/1973 |
XT127 |
V |
Sioux
AH1 |
3
CBAS |
Flew
into the New River estuary, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, USA during a
familiarisation flight as part of an exercise with the USMC. Allocated to
the AETW Middle Wallop |
27/02/1973 |
XT836 |
E |
Sioux
AH1 |
661
Sqn |
Despite
being warned, the aircraft entered cloud on take off from Detmold, West
Germany. It crashed after the pilot became disorientated while in a turn
due to the snow covered ground. He received major injuries |
27/04/1973 |
XG256 |
P |
Hunter
FGA9 |
229
OCU |
Hit
the stays of a TV mast on Caradon Hill, near Liskeard, Cornwall and
crashed. The pilot ejected |
03/04/1973 |
XS934 |
B |
Lightning
F6 |
56
Sqn |
Crashed
into the Mediterranean Sea two miles off Cyprus after the pilot ejected
following vibration and an engine fire |
06/04/1973 |
XG135 |
B |
Hunter
FGA9 |
45
Sqn |
Crashed
near Wittering, Cambridgeshire when the pilot ejected after being advised
that the aircraft was on fire |
10/04/1973 |
XV276 |
|
Harrier
GR1 |
HSA |
Crashed
onto a farm at Cranleigh near Dunsfold, Surrey after the pilot flamed out
the engine due to a throttle maladjustment. The Swiss pilot who ejected at
300ft was evaluating the type for possible sale to the Swiss AF |
12/04/1973 |
XV343 |
R-033 |
Buccaneer
S2 |
809
NAS |
Crashed
on approach to Honington, Suffolk. Both crew ejected but the navigator was
killed when his seat failed |
15/04/1973 |
XN237 |
|
Cadet
TX3 |
618
GS |
Crashed onto the airfield soon after launch from West Malling, Kent killing the student and instructor |
16/04/1973 |
XN310 |
LS-10 |
Whirlwind
HAR9 |
Lee-on-Solent
SAR |
The engine surged when computer control was selected forcing it to ditch into the Solent in 80ft of water one mile
south west of Gilkicker Point, Gosport. The three were picked up by a civilian helicopter but the Whirlwind was
not recovered |
18/04/1973 |
XT174 |
|
Sioux
AH1 |
666
Sqn |
Hit
telephone lines at Caledon, Co Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It crashed and
caught fire but the two crew were able to escaped safely |
05/05/1973 |
XT503 |
Z |
Sioux
AH1 |
3
CBAS |
Control
was lost when the main rotor struck an aerial while attempting to land on
HMS Bulwark. The pilot was rescued after ditching into the Mediterranean
Sea off Crete |
07/05/1973 |
XR647 |
|
Jet
Provost T4 |
6
FTS |
XR647
crashed onto a tractor at Norton-Le-Clay, near Boroughbridge, North
Yorkshire killing two farm hands. It had collided with XS216, during a
formation flying exercise. The crew ejected safely. XS216 landed safely
but was later declared a write off and was allocated to ground instruction
at Finningley |
07/05/1973 |
XS216 |
Q |
Jet
Provost T4 |
6
FTS |
10/05/1973 |
XL230 |
|
Victor
SR2 |
543
Sqn |
At the end of a night sortie the crew commenced a briefed asymmetric landing at Wyton, Cambridgeshire. Due to low altitude an attempt to overshoot was made but power increase on the two idling starboard engines took longer than the port engines. This required strong application of rudder and aileron to counter the starboard wing drop which was increased by the strong cross wind. The wing struck the ground causing the aircraft to cartwheel, become inverted and to break up and burn out. All six crew were killed |
19/05/1973 |
XP229 |
R-043 |
Gannet
AEW3 |
849
NAS |
Ditched
into the South Atlantic Ocean after engine failure while operating off HMS
Ark Royal |
23/05/1973 |
XJ781 |
|
Vulcan
B2 |
9
Sqn |
Landed on a foam carpet at Shiraz, Iran when one undercarriage leg failed to lower after
a training flight. The remaining undercarriage legs were sheered off by a storm drain as
the aircraft slowed down and veered off the runway. The crew and Iranian air force
observer suffered only minor injuries |
31/05/1973 |
XW850 |
|
Gazelle
AH1 |
1
FTU |
Stalled
and crashed near Fordingbridge, Hants during trials. A wiring fault caused
the control system to alternate between powered and manual flight each
time the anti-collision beacon flashed |
01/06/1973 |
XV397 |
K |
Phantom
FGR2 |
17
Sqn |
Crashed
near Kempen, West Germany after the crew ejected when the aircraft entered
a steep dive due to instrument failure. The navigator was killed when he
ejected into the pilots canopy |
05/06/1973 |
XG169 |
N |
Hunter
FGA9 |
229
OCU/79 Sqn |
Crashed
at Bideford, North Devon after engine failure. The pilot ejected |
05/06/1973 |
XM988 |
988 |
Lightning
T4 |
226
OCU |
Crashed
into the North Sea 23 miles N.E of Great Yarmouth, Norfolk after entering
an uncontrollable spin. The pilot ejected safely |
25/06/1973 |
XV440 |
|
Phantom
FGR2 |
31
Sqn |
Flew
into the North Sea at night off Vlieland, Netherlands. Both crew were
killed |
05/07/1973 |
XS783 |
|
Basset
CC1 |
26
Sqn |
Crashed
into a railway cutting four miles from Valley, Anglesey shortly after take
off after both engines failed due to the fuel tanks having been filled
with jet fuel. The navigator was killed. To Wyton fire dump |
07/07/1983 |
XT238 |
|
Sioux
AH1 |
15/16th
Queens Royal Lancers |
Crashed
at Aldridge, Staffordshire during an attempt to free a parachutist trapped
on power lines. The rescue rope caught on the power lines and the tail
rotor struck the rope. The two crew and the parachutist were injured |
09/07/1973 |
XV791 |
W |
Harrier
GR3 |
20
Sqn |
Crashed
at Westphalia after take off from Wildenrath, West Germany following a
multiple bird strike. The pilot ejected |
25/07/1973 |
XT871 |
R-007 |
Phantom
FG1 |
892
NAS |
Suffered
an engine failure on take-off from HMS Ark Royal and ditched into the
Firth of Forth near the Isle of May, South East Scotland |
27/07/1973 |
XF420 |
29 |
Hunter
F6 |
229
OCU/234 Sqn |
Crashed
near Chawleigh, North Devon
after the pilot had ejected following a spurious fire warning. Allocated
to Chivenor fire dump |
28/07/1973 |
XR993 |
|
Gnat
T1 |
4
FTS |
Damaged
beyond repair in an emergency landing at Lee-on-Solent, Hants following a
bird strike. Allocated to Culdrose as A2677. Later became N3XR in the USA and crashed on 19th January 1991 |
30/07/1973 |
XV805 |
Z |
Harrier
GR3 |
20
Sqn |
Crashed
at Coesfeld, West Germany after the engine failed due to damage from a
loose bolt. The USMC pilot ejected |
02/08/1973 |
WJ674 |
Y |
Canberra
B2 |
231
OCU |
Yawed
during a practice asymmetric approach to Cottesmore, Leics. The crew
ejected, the aircraft crashed at South Witham near the Fox Inn. The pilots
chute did not deploy and he was killed |
22/08/1973 |
XV427 |
X |
Phantom
FGR2 |
17
Sqn |
The aircraft had fallen out of a four ship formation during a turn. The pilot had attempted to rejoin by ‘cutting a corner’ but flew into high ground at
Arfeld, Bad Berleburg, West Germany. The crew did not eject and were killed |
06/09/1973 |
XV750 |
X |
Harrier
GR3 |
20
Sqn |
The
pilot ejected following engine failure over Roermond, Netherlands near
Wildenrath, West Germany |
06/09/1973 |
XP508 |
21 |
Gnat
T1 |
4
FTS |
Crashed
into the sea shortly after take off from Valley, Anglesey after the crew
ejected following loss of power |
10/09/1973 |
XV198 |
|
Hercules
C1 |
LTW |
Went
into a flat spin and crashed during a three engine climb out from Colerne,
Wiltshire when the remaining engine on that wing failed. All five on board
were killed |
16/09/1973 |
XT185 |
W |
Sioux
AH1 |
3
CBAS |
Damaged
beyond repair in a heavy autorotation landing at Nicosia, Cyprus after
engine failure |
19/09/1973 |
XT830 |
|
Sioux
AH1 |
655
Sqn |
The
cockpit bubble began to break up after striking power cables at Oberweis,
West Germany. The aircraft crashed into a river bed and caught fire. Both
crew were killed |
21/09/1973 |
XJ476 |
|
Sea
Vixen FAW21 |
A&AEE |
Both
mainwheel tyres burst on landing at Boscombe Down, Wiltshire due to
excessive braking. The brake units disintegrated causing damage to both
wing undersides which was not repaired. Used for spares until being
scrapped during May 1974. The nose is preserved at Southampton Hall of
Aviation |
24/09/1973 |
XV739 |
V |
Harrier
GR1A |
1
Sqn |
Crashed
at Episkopi, Cyprus in the climbing transition from the hover during a
display rehearsal. The pilot ejected |
05/10/1973 |
XW194 |
|
Sioux
AH1 |
658
Sqn |
Crashed
after the tail rotor struck a tree at Kassel, West Germany following a
sloping ground take off. The pilot was uninjured |
15/10/1973 |
XT869 |
R-002 |
Phantom
FG1 |
892
NAS |
Crashed into Tentsmuir Forest while on approach to Leuchars, Fife after both engines shut down. The crew ejected safely at 400ft as there was insufficient height to relight them |
02/11/1973 |
XL596 |
90 |
Hunter
T7 |
4
FTS |
Flew
into trees at Besford Wood while on approach to Shawbury, Shropshire. Both
crew were killed |
06/11/1973 |
XP954 |
753 |
Sea
Vixen FAW2 |
FRADU |
Crashed
at Ashington, near Yeovil, Somerset. after double engine failure. The
civilian crew ejected but one was injured |
13/11/1973 |
XA234 |
|
Grashopper
TX1 |
Air
Cadets |
Damaged
beyond repair after suffering a heavy impact with the ground |
20/11/1973 |
XP896 |
Y |
Scout
AH1 |
663
Sqn |
Suffered
engine failure during take off from Armagh, Northern Ireland. It then
struck a recovery vehicle during the subsequent forced landing in a
vehicle park. The five crew were injured |
21/11/1973 |
XL900 |
CU-590 |
Whirlwind
HAR9 |
Culdrose
Station Flt |
Rolled over after an emergency landing onto the runway at Culdrose, Cornwall after tail rotor gearbox failure. It
broke up but the four crew escaped safely. To Lee-on-Solent AIU then to Fleetlands for components removal |
27/11/1973 |
WF411 |
18 |
Varsity
T1 |
CFS |
Overshot
the runway at Little Rissington, Gloucestershire after an aborted take
off. To the fire dump at Little Rissington |
07/12/1973 |
XP809 |
|
Beaver
AL1 |
669
Sqn |
Struck
two trees and crashed on take off from Munsterlager, West Germany after
the wrong flap setting was selected. The pilot and passenger escaped
uninjured |
10/12/1973 |
XP738 |
E |
Lightning
F3 |
111
Sqn |
Written
off when the undercarriage collapsed on landing at Wattisham, Suffolk.
Stripped for spares and placed on the dump there |
12/12/1973 |
XT442 |
453 |
Wasp
HAS1 |
829
NAS HMS Eskimo Flt |
While on loan to the BRNC and at 500ft the main rotors struck the tail boom. The
trail rotor drive shaft failed and it crashed into a stone wall near to the Norton
Heliport, Dartmouth, Devon and burnt out. All four crew were killed |