1983 losses

21/01/1983 ZA177 711 Sea Harrier FRS1 899 NAS Crashed at Cattistock near Dorchester, Dorset narrowly missing a housing estate after failing to recover from a spin. The pilot ejected safely
01/02/1983 XV272   Beaver AL1 BTF The student selected full flap instead of landing flap during a rough field landing at Popham, Hampshire. The aircraft struck the ground heavily and broke off the undercarriage. The two crew escaped safely. Allocated to Middle Wallop AETW
03/02/1983 XV658 N-016 Sea King HAS5 820 NAS During deck landing practice on HMS Invincible it failed to recover from a wing over manoeuvre. It crashed into the Atlantic off the coast of Portugal killing one member of the crew
23/02/1983 XV795 AF Harrier GR3 3 Sqn Collided during ACT when XV795  turned into the path of XW926. Both aircraft crashed at Eye, Cambridgeshire near Peterborough. The two crew of the T4 were killed, while the GR3 pilot ejected safely
23/02/1983  XW926 X Harrier T4 233 OCU
07/03/1983 XZ376 BE Jaguar GR1 17 Sqn During a bomb toss manoeuvre on the Tain Range, Highlands the aircraft entered cloud after bomb release. It emerged from the cloud in an inverted dive. The pilot over corrected the recovery and lost control. He ejected at 325ft but was knocked unconscious when he struck the canopy
22/03/1983 XV787 H Harrier GR3 1453 Flt Crashed into Port William Sound, Falklands after engine failure due to a detached rivet damaging the compressor blades. The pilot ejected safely
30/03/1983 XN495 102 Jet Provost T3A 7 FTS Due to short circuit the engine start sequence began during climb out from a roller landing at Elvington, Yorks. This caused thrust variations and the instructor turned back towards the airfield. As the aircraft was too low to reach the runway a forced landing was attempted on a taxiway. The right wing struck the ground as the undercarriage was lowering and broke off. The aircraft slid across the airfield for 140 yards. Both crew suffered major back injuries
16/04/1983 WT895   Cadet TX3 614 VGS Crashed near Wethersfield, Essex after suffering structural failure after launch. Both crew were killed
19/04/1983 XX742 EF Jaguar GR1 6 Sqn During ACT the pilot was unable to recover the aircraft from a roll to starboard possibly due to disconnection of the roll control system. He ejected and the aircraft crashed into the North Sea, forty miles off Bacton, Norfolk. The aircraft was not recovered
20/04/1983 XX374 L Gazelle HT3 2 FTS The pilot lost control during an unauthorised display to a party of school children on Mount Snowdon, Gwynedd. It struck the ground and bounced along a path on its side before falling down a valley. It then disintegrated killing both crew
24/04/1983 XA306   Cadet TX3 618 VGS Crashed near West Malling, Kent
03/05/1983 XZ134 AJ Harrier GR3 3 Sqn When transitioning to wing borne flight after take from a field site at Stormede, Garehe, West Germany the engine failed due to a ruptured weld joint. The pilot ejected but was badly injured
04/05/1983 XZ249 AG-341 Lynx HAS2 815 NAS Ditched into the Gulf of Oman after loss of tail rotor control while operating off HMS Avenger. The four on board were rescued. To the AIU at Lee-on-Solent and then to ground instruction at RNEC Manadon as A2721
05/05/1983 XV638 430 Wasp HAS1 829 NAS HMS Achilles Flt While operating off HMS Achilles the engine surged and lost power forcing it to ditch into the South Atlantic eighty miles east of Natal, Brazil. The crew were rescued and the helicopter was recovered. Allocated to ground instruction at Brize Norton and then High Wycombe as 8826M
16/05/1983 XE716 VL-834 Hunter GA11 FRADU Crashed into the English Channel off Portland, Dorset after engine failure. The pilot ejected safely
11/06/1983 XR380   Alouette AH2 UNFICYFLT During lift off from the Troodos Mountains, Cyprus the underslung load of jerrycans in a cargo net caught on the port rear skid. The pilot tried to drop the load but the centre of gravity transferred to the port skid. Control was lost and the aircraft rolled down the side of the mountain until the main rotor blades stuck in a scree. The pilot received major injuries
14/06/1983 XZ500 H-127 Sea Harrier FRS1 800 NAS Crashed into the Bay of Biscay after loss of control during a protracted inverted spin while operating off HMS Illustrious. The pilot ejected safely
16/06/1983 XZ105 25 Jaguar GR1 2 Sqn Collided during a three aircraft echelon break to port while approach to Goose Bay, Canada. Both pilots ejected, the aircraft crashing into water surrounding the airfield
16/06/1983 XZ110 30 Jaguar GR1 2 Sqn
22/06/1983 XX721 GE Jaguar GR1 54 Sqn Both engines flamed out almost immediately after  take off from Hahn, West Germany due to fuel starvation. The Danish pilot was unable to relight the engines and attempted to return to base but was forced to eject
24/06/1983 XX166   Hawk T1 4 FTS Crashed on North Barrule, near Ramsey, Isle of Man killing both crew
27/07/1983 XP811   Beaver AL1 BTF During a display at Culdrose Air Show the port wing struck the ground during a 360 deg turn while the wind was gusting at 27 knots. It crashed onto the airfield killing the pilot
29/07/1983 XX336 J Hawk T1 2 TWU/151 Sqn XX353 collided with XX336 over North Devon during tail chase manoeuvres. The crew of XX353 ejected after control was lost and it crashed near Holsworthy, Bude. XX336 attempted to return to Chivenor minus its nose but it was decided that the instructor should eject as he was in the front, which was damaged. The ejection made the aircraft uncontrollable and the student ejected as well. The aircraft crashed into Bideford Bay. The centre section of XX336 was picked up in fishing nets during May 1990
29/07/1983 XX353 M Hawk T1 2 TWU/151 Sqn
29/07/1983 XX229   Hawk T1 1 TWU Crashed into St. Georges Channel, 45 miles SW of Brawdy, Dyfed after the engine failed. The pilot ejected safely
03/08/1983 WJ625 EC Canberra T17 360 Sqn Entered cloud shortly after a three aircraft take off from Gibraltar. It crashed into the Mediterranean Sea after the pilot became disorientated and lost control. All three crew were killed
11/08/1983 XX891   Buccaneer S2B 16 Sqn Stalled at 200ft while on approach to Laarbruch, West Germany. Both crew ejected at low altitude but the navigator was killed on impact with the ground
26/08/1983 XP753   Lightning F3 LTF Crashed into the sea off Scarborough, Yorks during an unauthorised display, killing the pilot. He misjudged the distance from a cliff and stalled while attempting to avoid it
06/09/1983 XT427 606 Wasp HAS1 829 NAS Ditched into the English Channel near to HMS Apollo off Portland, Dorset after suffering severe vibration and loss of power during deck landing practice. The crew were rescued safely and the helicopter was allocated to the FAA Museum at Yeovilton
19/09/1983 XX114 02 Jaguar GR1 226 OCU During finals to Lossiemouth, Grampian the pilot noticed a flock of birds ahead of him. He decided to overshoot but flew into another flock. He ejected after both engines lost power and began to break up
27/09/1983 ZA586 A Tornado GR1 9 Sqn Crashed onto Wolfeston Marsh, six miles north of Kings Lynn at night after suffering a complete electrical failure. The pilot ordered the navigator to eject but failed to do so himself and was killed in the crash
29/09/1983 XX376 D Gazelle AH1 3 CBAS Oil pressure was lost due to a fractured fuel pipe shortly after take off from Detmold, West Germany. Autorotation was established but an alternative site had to be selected due to the proximity of power lines. The aircraft landed heavily at Hagen but both crew managed to escaped without injury
14/10/1983 WK613 P Chipmunk T10 BFWF While demonstrating the correct landing technique the instructor allowed the aircraft to drift to starboard. The port wing struck the radio caravan at the end of the runway and the aircraft struck the ground heavily. One of the crew received minor injuries. Allocated to the Pennine Aviation Museum, Bacup
17/10/1983 XV484 C Phantom FGR2 23 Sqn Crashed into the cloud covered Mount Usbourne 500 feet from the summit  nine miles NNE of Goose Green, East Falkland, while acting as a target for two other Phantoms. The crew made no attempt to eject and were both killed
19/10/1983 WJ678 CF Canberra B2 100 Sqn Severely over stressed when the pilot regained control after the aircraft encountered Clear Air Turbulence. It rolled inverted and entered a steep climb. Returned to Wyton but was declared a write off. Found to have pulled between + 10g and – 1.5g. To 8846M at Abingdon
20/10/1983 ZA194 VL-716 Sea Harrier FRS1 899 NAS Crashed at West Knighton near Dorchester, Dorset after control problems. The USMC pilot ejected
28/10/1983 XV742 I Harrier GR3 233 OCU Crashed onto Holbeach Range, Lincs after possibly being hit by a ricochet. The pilot made no attempt to eject and was killed when the aircraft hit the ground
28/10/1983 ZA558 F Tornado GR1 617 Sqn At almost the same time as Harrier XV742 crashed (see above) The navigator of ZA558 realised that the pilot was not in control of the aircraft. He was unable to contact him and therefore initiated command ejection at 90ft. The aircraft crashed into the sea ten miles NW of Cromer, Norfolk. Rescue operations did not begin for two hours after over due action was taken. This was due to confusion over the two incidents. The navigator was rescued 3½ hours after he entered the water but the pilots body was never found
19/11/1983 XV762   Harrier GR3 1453 Flt The Harrier was on a fighter evasion sortie with four other Harriers and had been engaged by a Phantom. It struck the ground under power in a right hand turn and exploded on Lafonia south of Goose Green, East Falkland Islands. The pilot made no attempt to eject and was killed
21/11/1983 XM453 G Jet Provost T3A 3 FTS Crashed two miles SSE of Ribblehead Viaduct North Yorkshire after the crew ejected following a bird strike
07/12/1983 XT459 D Wessex HU5 845 NAS Suffered a whiteout and crashed shortly after take off from Setermoen, Norway. Four on board were injured
09/12/1983 XS457 AT Lightning T5 5 Sqn Landed heavily and swung off the wet runway at Binbrook, Lincolnshire after a main undercarriage leg collapsed. Put into store and never flew again. The cockpit was preserved at Grimsby in 1988

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