1984 losses

04/01/1984 XZ681   Lynx AH1 Garrison Air Sqn Flew into  the sea off West Falkland after diverting round the coast due  to bad weather. The main rotors struck the cabin killing the two crew
17/01/1984 XX915 15 Jaguar T2 ETPS No 2 engine ignited fuel leaking from the failed No 1 engine during an emergency landing at Boscombe Down. The pilot ejected and landed on the Chemical Defence Research Establishment at Porton Down. The aircraft crashed onto open farm land
06/02/1984 ZA451 ED Tornado GR1 15 Sqn The right hand underwing fuel tank was struck by lightning during a night sortie. The pilot was unable to release the tank due to the release switch being set at ‘safe’ Before he could re-select it he saw a yellow glow and it was considered that the aircraft was in immediate danger of exploding and so both crew ejected. The aircraft crashed near Jever,  West Germany. The glow had been from a fire in the underwing tank and releasing it would have saved the aircraft
07/02/1984 XX750 AL Jaguar GR1 14 Sqn Crashed inverted onto the Nellis Range, Nevada, USA during a Red Flag exercise after loss of control while taking avoiding action after being picked up on ground radar. The USAF pilot made no attempt to eject and was killed
16/03/1984 XZ496 126 Sea Harrier FRS1 800 NAS Crashed into the sea off Norway after engine failure whilst on approach to HMS Illustrious. The pilot ejected safely
21/03/1984 XX251   Hawk T1 Red Arrows Hit the ground during a practice opposition loop manoeuvre by the synchro pair at Akrotiri, Cyprus. The impact forced the ejection seat through the canopy and deployed the chute, dragging the pilot out. The aircraft broke up and caught fire. The pilot left the Red Arrows for other duties
13/04/1984 XT794 325 Wasp HAS1 829 NAS HMS Herald Flt Lost power, ditched in the South Atlantic and sank two miles north east of English Bay off the Ascension Islands. after. The two crew were rescued. It was not recovered
11/05/1984 XN641 47 Jet Provost T3A 1 FTS Damaged when it collided with the runway barrier on landing at Linton-on-Ouse, Yorkshire. Allocated to 8865M on Newton fire dump
20/05/1984 XZ430 DS Buccaneer S2B 208 Sqn While leading five other aircraft on a simulated low level attack it pulled up for a bomb toss release and entered cloud. It was not seen again and had crashed into the North Sea 20 mile NE of Fraserburgh, Grampian killing both crew. The wreck was found five weeks later
03/06/1984 XZ135 P Harrier GR3 4 Sqn The engine caught fire due to a disintegrating water pump which severed fuel and hydraulic lines during a display at Aschaffenburg, West Germany. The pilot ejected during an emergency landing after the nose wheel collapsed. The ejection seat struck and killed a spectator. To Abingdon as 8848M
03/06/1984 XV257 57 Nimrod MR2 St. Mawgan MR Wing Caught fire shortly after take off from St. Mawgan, Cornwall after a reconnaissance flare detached in the bomb bay and ignited. The pilot made a safe emergency landing back at St. Mawgan but the aircraft  was badly damaged by the fire. All the crew escaped safely
22/06/1984 ZA770 B Gazelle AH1 BATUS Flew into high ground at night near Suffield, Alberta, Canada. One crew member was killed
05/07/1984 XW315 50 Jet Provost T5A CFS Made an emergency landing at Leeming, Yorkshire after an inflight fire.  Allocated to Abingdon BDRF
08/07/1984 WT909   Cadet TX3 626 VGS Written off in a heavy landing at Predannack, Cornwall. Sold and became PH-797 in the Netherlands
12/07/1984 ZA408   Tornado GR1 TWCU ATC warned the Jaguar formation about the Tornado. No2 in the formation spotted the aircraft and transmitted his position to the rest of the group, unfortunately on the wrong frequency. The pilot of XZ393 saw the ZA408 directly ahead of him and both aircraft collided over Cromer, Norfolk. The Jaguar crashed into the North Sea while the Tornado crashed near Hempstead, Norfolk. All three crew ejected safely
12/07/1984 XZ393 GK Jaguar GR1 54 Sqn
13/07/1984 XS920 AF Lightning F6 5 Sqn Hit power lines during ACT with a USAF A-10A and crashed five miles east of Bremen, West Germany. The pilot was killed
18/07/1984 ZA494 15 Tornado GR1 27 Sqn While on approach to Goose Bay, Canada control was lost due to flap failure. The pilot selected full re-heat but when it became obvious that the aircraft would strike the runway the crew ejected. The aircraft hit the runway, bounced and crashed inverted into woods
27/07/1984 XF321   Hunter T7 RAE Fanborough Made an inadvertent wheels up landing at Bedford. To the RNEC at Manadon as A2734
15/08/1984 XN473 98 Jet Provost T3A 7 FTS The pilot noticed a flock of birds during take off from Cranwell, Lincs. He elected to land rather than fly through them. The heavy landing burst both main tyres and collapsed the nose wheel leg. Allocated to 8826M at Church Fenton
19/08/1984 WJ897 G-BDFT Varsity T1 Leicester Preservation Group During a flight from East Midlands Airport to Liverpool, the aircraft suffered from engine problems, at 400 ft whilst the pilot attempted an emergency landing, the aircraft suddenly rolled to the left and crashed into the ground inverted in a steep nose down attitude onto the disused Military Camp at Marchington, near Uttoxeter. Of the fourteen on board only three survived
22/08/1984 XZ395 GJ Jaguar GR1 54 Sqn Crashed into the North Sea thirty miles north of Coltishall, Norfolk after the pilot ejected following loss of control due to excessive rudder movement, the cause of which could not be established
31/08/1984 XX257   Hawk T1 Red Arrows Suffered failure of a rotor blade in the low pressure compressor while  taking part in a display over Sidmouth, Devon. The pilot was unable to regain control of the engine and flew the aircraft out to sea where he ejected
14/09/1984 XX977 DL  Jaguar GR1 31 Sqn After encountering poor weather during a low level sortie the pilot was late in deciding to pull out and, as he climbed, cloud obscured hills ahead of him. The aircraft struck cables supporting the Charwelton Radio Tower near Daventry, Bedfordshire 380ft from its base ripping off approximately 5ft from the port wing. The pilot transmitted a mayday and made an emergency landing at RAE Bedford. On 7th December the airframe was transported to Shawbury but was deemed to be damaged beyond economical repair. Allocated to BDRT at St. Athan as 9132M
01/10/1984 XN817   Argosy C1 A&AEE While on its last mission with the A&AEE one of the undercarriage legs collapsed on landing at West Freugh, Dumfries and Galloway. To the fire dump at West Freugh
25/10/1984 XX298   Hawk T1 4 FTS Crashed into Tremadoc Bay, Gwynedd after both crew ejected when the control column jammed
31/10/1984 XL584 VL-877 Hunter T8C FRADU Crashed into the English Channel five miles off Portsmouth, Hants killing the pilot
07/11/1984 XX180   Hawk T1 4 FTS Crashed beside the B5109 road at Mona, Anglesey after the crew ejected due to a bird strike during an overshoot
08/11/1984 XR761 Lightning F6 LSF The pilot was burning off fuel after suffering pitch trimmer failure on take off from Binbrook. He ejected after a fire started in both engines. The aircraft crashed into the North Sea ten miles off Spurn Head, Humberside
08/11/1984 ZA603 08 Tornado GR1 27 Sqn The pilot pulled up sharply and banked to avoid a USAF A-10A. The navigator, who had been head down looking at a map looked out and saw the ground and no horizon. Sensing that the aircraft was rolling to the left and descending out of control he initiated command ejection. Both ejections were successful. The aircraft crashed near Schweinfurt, West Germany
14/11/1984 ZA676 FG Chinook HC1 240 OCU The instructor reduced power on number 2 engine shortly after take off near Micheldever, Hants. Due to a faulty fuel control unit the number 1 engine failed to compensate and the aircraft struck the ground and rolled over. Two of the seven crew received major injuries It was sent for repair but these were not carried out. Allocated to Odiham dump as 9229M
29/11/1984 XZ992 T Harrier GR3 1453 Flt Crashed into the sea after the pilot ejected due to loss of control after hitting a Giant Petrel while on approach to Port Stanley, Falklands. The pilot had ejected at low altitude and his chute had insufficient time to slow him down before he hit the water. He suffered severe head injuries which incapacitated him but he was saved by two airmen who came to his aid in a dinghy
01/12/1984 XZ458 L-125 Sea Harrier FRS1 800 NAS Crashed at Kilmonivaig Farm, Gairlochy, Highland after the pilot ejected following a bird strike. It was operating off HMS Illustrious
03/12/1984 XT767 624 Wessex HU5 772 NAS Struck the harbour wall at Portland, Dorset after a control malfunction. It crashed into the sea killing the pilot

© Wolverhampton Aviation Group