Early
1980 |
WG556 |
A |
Shackleton MR2 |
8
Sqn |
Written off
in a heavy landing at Lossiemouth, Grampian. It was stored at Lossiemouth
until being allocated to 8651M and being placed on the fire dump there on
20th February 1981. It was finally scrapped during July 1982 |
14/01/1980 |
XZ572 |
B-270 |
Sea
King HAS2 |
814
NAS |
Ditched into the Atlantic Ocean and sank after suffering an oil leak
while operating from HMS Bulwark between Bermuda and Florida on the American mainland. The crew were rescued by fellow Sea King XV713. It was
not recovered |
14/01/1980 |
XP819 |
|
Beaver AL1 |
FWF |
Struck
the northern boundary fence of the M3 motorway in fog at Dummer Hill, near
Popham, Hampshire and caught fire. The pilot had landed in the adjacent
field and then attempted an overshoot. Both crew were killed |
29/01/1980 |
XT637 |
|
Scout
AH1 |
1
Regt |
The
engine failed at 300 feet shortly after take off from Hildesheim, West
Germany due to water contaminated fuel. It landed heavily on frozen
ground, slid across a road and came to rest in a ditch. It was not
repaired and was put into store at Wroughton until being disposed of |
07/02/1980 |
XV345 |
|
Buccaneer
S2A |
15
Sqn |
Crashed
on the Nellis Ranges, Nevada, USA during a Red Flag exercise, after
structural failure of a wing. Both crew were killed. This accident
resulted in the grounding of the Buccaneer fleet and subsequent checks
revealed many were suffering from severe fatigue damage because of their
role. Some were deemed beyond economical repair and were withdrawn. This
led to the disbandment of the recently formed 216 squadron |
12/02/1980 |
XK151 |
Z |
Hunter
FGA9 |
2
TWU |
Crashed
in the Cuillin Hills on the Isle of Skye killing the pilot |
18/02/1980 |
XZ306 |
|
Gazelle
AH1 |
651
Sqn |
Crashed
on White Hill Mountain near Lisburn, Northern Ireland after suffering a
wire strike at night. Both crew were killed |
05/03/1980 |
XV436 |
E |
Phantom
FGR2 |
29
Sqn |
Missed
the cable during an emergency landing at night at Coningsby, Lincs
following hydraulic failure. The crew ejected and it ran off the runway
and into a field. Allocated to Abingdon as 8850M |
12/03/1980 |
XW765 |
D |
Harrier
GR3 |
3
Sqn |
Crashed
at Lampeter, Dyfed after suffering a bird strike at low level. The pilot
ejected safely |
08/05/1980 |
XW314 |
28 |
Jet
Provost T5A |
RAFC |
Crashed
near to the A46 road near Cranwell, Lincolnshire after the student had
mishandled the aircraft during a spin. The instructor was unable to
recover the aircraft and both crew ejected |
08/05/1980 |
XN127 |
W |
Whirlwind
HAR10 |
2
FTS |
Entered
an uncontrolled rolling dive and struck the ground at Shawbury,
Shropshire. The loadmaster was seriously injured but the rest of the crew
escaped with minor injuries |
16/05/1980 |
XL953 |
|
Pembroke
C1 |
60
Sqn |
Destroyed
in a hangar fire at Wildenrath, West Germany |
17/05/1980 |
XX262 |
|
Hawk
T1 |
Red
Arrows |
When
flying as one of the synchro pair at Brighton it struck the 44ft mast of a
yacht leaving the harbour, 4 inches from the top. The pilot ejected over
the sea and was picked up by a passing motor boat |
22/05/1980 |
XT763 |
PO-515 |
Wessex
HU5 |
772
NAS |
Ditched
into Weymouth Bay, Dorset after loss of transmission oil pressure. The
five crew escaped safely and the aircraft was recovered and placed on the
dump at Portland |
28/05/1980 |
XX961 |
BJ |
Jaguar
GR1 |
17
Sqn |
During a run and break over the airfield at Bruggen, West Germany the No 2 aircraft (XX964) of the four-ship formation broke too early and collided with the No 1 (XX961). The pilot of XX961 ejected but the other pilot did not and was killed |
28/05/1980 |
XX964 |
BL |
Jaguar
GR1 |
17
Sqn |
28/05/1980 |
XG261 |
J |
Hunter
T7 |
2
TWU |
The
pilot was unable to pull out of a high speed dive during ACT as he had
left the flaps down. He ejected and the aircraft
crashed near Dufftown, Grampian |
29/05/1980 |
XL597 |
|
Hunter
T7 |
216
Sqn |
Suffered
loss of power due to a fuel systems fault while flying low level. Both
crew ejected and it crashed
south of Little Saxham near Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk |
03/06/1980 |
XV589 |
P |
Phantom
FG1 |
111
Sqn |
Crashed
on approach to Alconbury, Cambs after the radome opened causing loss of
control. The crew ejected safely |
10/06/1980 |
XX390 |
A |
Gazelle
AH1 |
3
CBAS |
Failed
to level out and flew into Lough Foyle, during a descent to join the
circuit at Ballykelly, Northern Ireland. All three occupants were injured |
27/06/1980 |
XP156 |
PO-663 |
Wessex
HAS3 |
737
NAS |
Crashed into the English Channel off Portland, Dorset killing all three crew |
11/07/1980 |
XV418 |
S |
Phantom
FGR2 |
92
Sqn |
Flew
into the ground near Diepholz, West Germany when control was lost while
trying to formate with the camera aircraft during filming for the BBC.
Both crew were killed |
17/07/1980 |
XX817 |
BB |
Jaguar
GR1 |
17
Sqn |
Shortly
after take off from Bruggen, West Germany the port engine lost power. The
pilot attempted to return to base but ejected when both engines caught
fire due to a fuel leak. It crashed into woods seven miles from the base |
31/07/1980 |
XN590 |
86 |
Jet
Provost T3A |
7
FTS |
Suffered
a multiple bird strike during an overshoot at Elvington, Yorks when it
flew into part of a flock of 500 racing pigeons that had been released ten
miles south of the airfield. The pilot ejected and the aircraft crashed
near Goole, Humberside |
08/1980 |
WJ821 |
|
Canberra
PR7 |
13
Sqn |
Written
off in a force-landing at Bedford. Allocated to Bassingbourn gate as 8668M |
15/09/1980 |
XX401 |
F |
Gazelle
AH1 |
3
CBAS |
Flew
into a hill at Balnakeil, Sutherland killing three on board. It was
operating off HMS Intrepid during exercise 'Teamwork 80' |
18/09/1980 |
XX545 |
02 |
Bulldog
T1 |
London
UAS |
Stalled
during a simulated engine failure and crashed onto the airfield at
Abingdon, Oxfordshire. Both crew were injured |
14/10/1980 |
XV792 |
AN |
Harrier
GR3 |
3
Sqn |
Crashed
after a technical defect while in a hover at Gutersloh, West Germany. The
pilot ejected but was killed |
28/10/1980 |
XV761 |
CB |
Harrier
GR3 |
4
Sqn |
Crashed
19 miles north of Bitburg, West Germany after a bird strike. The pilot
ejected safely |
07/11/1980 |
WH667 |
J |
Canberra
B2 |
100
Sqn |
Crashed
in flames after an engine exploded on take off from Akrotiri, Cyprus. The
pilot did not eject, the navigator did but was killed |
11/11/1980 |
WP972 |
A |
Chipmunk
T10 |
FWF |
Lost
power just after take off from Middle Wallop, Hants. The instructor took
control and turned the aircraft back towards the airfield and made a heavy
forced landing which broke off the undercarriage. Caused by a worn fuel
shut off lever in the cockpit. |
12/11/1980 |
XV413 |
D |
Phantom
FGR2 |
29
Sqn |
Crashed
into the North Sea 50 miles off Cromer, Norfolk during ACT. The crew made
no attempt to eject and were killed. Only one per cent of the aircraft was
recovered and so no cause was found |
17/11/1980 |
XV256 |
|
Nimrod
MR2 |
206
Sqn |
Crewed
by 206 Sqn, it suffered
a massive bird strike on take off from Kinloss, Grampian when just 20ft
off the runway. Only the number 4 engine was undamaged and the RAAF
exchange pilot ordered full power on it and the other three damaged
engines. However he was forced to make a crash landing into a forest
1,300yds from the end of the runway. The aircraft was quickly engulfed in
flames. The two pilots were incapacitated due to severe blows to the head
during the crash and due to the severity of the fire it was not possible
to rescue them. The other eighteen crew were able to escape but all
suffered smoke inhalation |
18/11/1980 |
ZA801 |
V |
Gazelle
HT3 |
CFS |
Crashed
after loss of control in a turn at Chetwynd, Salop. The pilot escaped
without serious injury |
30/11/1980 |
XX434 |
|
Gazelle
AH1 |
655
Sqn |
While
on the ground in Ulster, Northern Ireland with the rotors turning, a
holdall was passed into the rear of the cabin. This caught on and raised
the collective lever. The aircraft yawed violently to the left and pitched
nose down into the ground. One of the four occupants was injured |
01/12/1980 |
XZ454 |
N-250 |
Sea
Harrier FRS1 |
801
NAS |
Hit
HMS Invincible’s ski ramp during a slow flypast for the press and
crashed into the English Channel off The Lizard, Cornwall. The pilot
ejected safely |
09/12/1980 |
XV414 |
R |
Phantom
FGR2 |
23
Sqn |
Crashed
into the North Sea 200 yards astern Trinity House light vessel two miles
off Great Yarmouth, Norfolk after the crew ejected following the ignition
of a massive fuel leak. The wreckage was found seven months later when
fishermen caught it in their nets and was later dumped at Wattisham |