1975 losses

26/01/1975 XN311 LS-311 Whirlwind HAR9 Lee-on-Solent Station Flt The main rotors cut through the tai boom and smashed a hole in the cockpit roof during a crash landing after engine failure at Peel Common just outside the airfield boundary at Lee-on-Solent, Hampshire. The two crew were uninjured. After removal of spares it became a major component in a composite airframe along with parts from XN297 
and XL880 and was allocated to A2643 at HMS Phoenix Fire School, Portsmouth
27/01/1975 XR454   Whirlwind HAR10 84 Sqn The main rotor cut through the tail boom during a forced landing near Mount Troodos, Cyprus after the engine had failed due to foreign object ingestion
12/02/1975 XW901   Gazelle AH1 A&AEE While operating from CFB Cold Lake for cold weather trials it impacted a frozen lake on Suffield Ranges, Alberta, Canada. The pilot had failed to recover the aircraft during a fast rate descent over snow covered terrain. Both crew were injured
14/02/1975 XF274   Meteor T7 IAM Crashed near to the tower at Farnborough, Hants after losing control during an asymmetric overshoot. Both crew were killed. Wreckage to the 'Black Museum' at Farnborough
26/02/1975 XP166   Scout AH1 RAE Badly damaged when the main rotor blades were struck by flying wooden debris at Farnborough, Hants. This resulted in damage to the entire dynamic system. It was not repaired and was allocated to the dump at Farnborough and later used for ground instruction there. Later re-registered G-APVL and privately owned at East Dereham, Norfolk
03/03/1975 XV416 H Phantom FGR2 111 Sqn Crashed into the River Witham shortly after take off from Coningsby, Lincs after engine failure. The crew ejected safely
17/03/1975 XT225 R Sioux AH1 ARWF Crashed into a hillside at Chilbolton, Hampshire during downwind emergency landing practice. One of the two crew were slightly injured
24/03/1975 XH618   Victor K1A 57 Sqn XV156 collided with and removed the tail of the Victor during a simulated refuelling sortie with another Buccaneer while over the North Sea 95 miles east of Sunderland, Tyne & Wear. The Victor plunged out of control and the ‘g’ forces made it impossible for the crew to escape except for the captain who managed to reach the ejection handle with the fingers of one hand. The aircraft exploded as it reached cloud tops killing the other four crew. The captain was rescued from the sea by a merchant ship. The Buccaneer landed safely
24/03/1975 XV156   Buccaneer S2A 208 Sqn
27/03/1975 XT840   Sioux AH1 3rd RTR The pilot over pitched the main rotors during a slow left hand turn Belize. Control was lost and the aircraft struck the ground heavily. The pilot was uninjured
09/04/1975 XV776 14 Harrier GR3 1 Sqn Crashed near Ditton Priors, Shropshire after the engine main bearing failed. The pilot ejected
14/04/1975 XR762 H Lightning F6 11 Sqn Spun into the Mediterranean Sea off Akrotiri, Cyprus during a tail chase. The pilot was killed
15/04/1975 XT242   Sioux AH1 ARWF/Blue Eagles Crash-landed near Barton Stacey, Hampshire after the main rotor hit the ground during display training. To the Wessex Aviation Society and rebuilt using parts from XW179 (crashed 28/08/1979)
30/04/1975 XX831 W Jaguar T2 226 OCU Crashed at Lossiemouth, Grampian after loss of control during an inverted run over the airfield during a display practice. Caused by a fouled control column. The pilot ejected at 500ft and was slightly injured
08/05/1975 XS880 R-046 Wessex HAS1 Ark Royal Station Flt While acting as Plane Guard off HMS Ark Royal it ditched into the South Atlantic Ocean off Salvador, Brazil after the engine surged and then shut down. It rolled over but the crew were rescued safely
16/05/1975 XV800 G Harrier GR3 4 Sqn The engine ingested a small bird shortly after a short take off from Wildenrath, West Germany. As the engine began to run down the aircraft only reached a maximum height of 100ft. The pilot ejected at 50ft and it crashed onto the airfield
22/05/1975 XW867 CU-56 Gazelle HT2 705 NAS Flew into overhead power cables and crashed into Pendruffle Wood near Herodsfoot six miles south east of Liskeard, Cornwall. Both crew were killed. Wreckage to the AIU at lee-on-Solent
30/05/1975 XT547   Sioux AH1 657 Sqn After take off from Sennelager, West Germany the pilot realised that he would not clear some trees. He overpitched the main rotor while taking avoiding action and was forced to make a heavy forced landing
04/06/1975 XT424 465 Wasp HAS1 829 NAS HMS Juno Flt Suffered an uncontrolled yaw to port and ditched next to HMS Juno in the 
Mediterranean Sea. The ship was en route from Gibraltar to Malta. The three crew were rescued safely. The helicopter was recovered and went to the AIU at Lee-on-Solent. Declared a write off and dumped at Fleetlands
16/06/1975 XW536 E Buccaneer S2B 16 Sqn XW536 crashed into the North Sea after colliding with XW528 (which landed safely) during a sortie from Karup, Denmark. The crew ejected safely
16/06/1975 XW528 B Buccaneer S2B 16 Sqn
19/06/1975 XT164   Sioux AH1 664 Sqn Force-landed onto Hawley Common near Farnborough, Hampshire after failure of the main rotor tie rod counter weight. Both crew were uninjured
29/06/1975 WB562 F Chipmunk T10 7 AEF Lost control during aerobatics and crashed onto the disused airfield at Winthorpe, Notts. Both crew were killed
29/07/1975 XV360   Buccaneer S2A 237 OCU Lost control and crashed into the North Sea off Covehithe, Norfolk. Both crew ejected
31/07/1975 WZ832   Grasshopper TX1 MGSP Written off at Halton, Buckinghamshire
21/08/1975 XM871 GL-400 Wessex HAS3 737 NAS Whilst on a CASEVAC flight from HMS Plymouth a loud thud was heard followed by loss of tail control. The pilot attempted to reach HMS Glamorgan but was forced to ditch into the Indian Ocean one mile from the ship. All on board were rescued
09/1975 XN775 B Lightning F2A 92 Sqn Declared a write off at Gutersloh, West Germany after failure to overcome a severe fuel leak problem. To 8448M at Gutersloh as a decoy
03/09/1975 XS103 D Gnat T1 CFS Both aircraft landed back at Leck, West Germany after colliding during a formation flight. XS103 suffered severe damage to its nose and was declared a write off
03/09/1975 MM6774   F-104S Starfighter AMI
12/09/1975 XX557 03 Bulldog T1 Glasgow UAS Crash-landed at Callender, Central Scotland after hitting trees. Cockpit allocated to Turnhouse as ground instruction
17/09/1975 XP112 R-047 Wessex HAS1 Ark Royal Station Flt Ditched into the English Channel off Plymouth, Devon near to HMS Ark Royal after an engine fire warning light illuminated. It remained afloat and the crew were able to escape safely but it sank while under tow
18/09/1975 XV580 Q Phantom FG1 43 Sqn Crashed near Forfar, Tayside after loss of control during a Battle of Britain show formation practice. The crew ejected safely
23/09/1975 WE993   Prefect TX1 CGS Crashed at Halton, Buckinghamshire
29/09/1975 XN780 G Lightning F2A 92 Sqn Suffered a fire during ground runs at Gutersloh, West Germany. Allocated to an airfield decoy as 8663M
30/09/1975 XT849   Sioux AH1 659 Sqn The pilot over pitched the aircraft while in the hover at Kellinghausen, West Germany. The main rotors struck the ground and the aircraft landed heavily on soft ground. Both crew escaped safely
14/10/1975 XM645   Vulcan B2 9 Sqn Approach to Luqa, Malta by the Co Pilot was too steep and too fast. The port undercarriage was torn off when it struck the undershoot area and this fell onto the runway. The aircraft then struck the runway hard, which started a fire, and bounced back into the air. The pilot took control and attempted to gain height so that the rear crew members could evacuate the aircraft. The plane then exploded and the captain ordered the aircraft to be abandoned and the two pilots ejected. The rear crew were unable to open their escape hatch as the undercarriage had to be retracted to do this. With all hydraulics gone this could not be achieved. The aircraft fell onto two areas of the village of Zabbar killing five rear crew plus a woman on the ground. The pilot had previously abandoned Vulcan XM610 on 8th January 1971
16/10/1975 XS106 36 Gnat T1 4 FTS Crashed onto farm land at Llanrwst, Gwynedd after loss of control during a spin. The crew ejected safely
28/10/1975 XR571 23 Gnat T1 4 FTS Declared a write off after a ground accident at Valley, Anglesey. Allocated to Brampton gate as 8493M
31/10/1975 XP984   Hawker P1127 RAE Crashed from a low altitude at Bedford after the pilot lost directional control in a cross wind. He escaped without injury and the aircraft was allocated to A2658 at Manadon
12/11/1975 WH919   Canberra B2 231 OCU Badly damaged in a ground accident. To 23 MU at Aldergrove but was declared a write off
17/11/1975 XV695 PW-303 Sea King HAS1 819 NAS No2 engine failed during a night sonar dunking sortie during exercise 'Ocean Safari' and whilst operating eight miles from HMS Hermes in the North Sea. As it climbed away a massive oil leak from the main gear box occurred. It ditched, rolled over and sank but not before the crew escaped safely. It was not recovered
24/11/1975 XV405   Phantom FGR2 228 OCU Crashed into the sea off Skegness, Lincs after the crew ejected following loss of control
01/12/1975 XT113   Sioux AH1 666 Sqn Landed heavy after running out of fuel while in the hover over the dispersal in Belize. Broken up for spares at the base camp
01/12/1975 XV788 11 Harrier GR3 1417 Flt Crashed into the sea off Belize after the pilot ejected following a technical failure. Possibly due to ingesting a pelican that caused engine failure
17/12/1975 XV463 R Phantom FGR2 41 Sqn Crashed into the Solway Firth off Silloth, Cumbria after loss of control. Both crew were killed
18/12/1975 XW195   Sioux AH1 659 Sqn Crashed following a wire strike at Crossmaglen, Northern Ireland
18/12/1975 XT818   Sioux AH1 662 Sqn The aircraft entered an uncontrolled spin after the pilot became disorientated in cloud and fog when returning to base at Hillsborough, Northern Ireland. It struck power lines and crashed to the ground killing one of the crew and severely injuring the other

© Wolverhampton Aviation Group