1987 losses

01/01/1987 XT674   Wessex HC2 22 Sqn During the search for an injured climber in severe weather at night on Ben Moore near Crianlarich, Perthshire the crew decided on a single wheel slope landing to drop off the mountain rescue team. On touchdown the main rotor tips struck an overhanging rock. The pilot lifted off but the flailing blades struck and severed the tail section. The aircraft spun onto the slope, slid 220 yards and caught fire. The three crew escaped from the helicopter but the two members of the rescue team were thrown out, one receiving fatal injuries
17/02/1987 XR749 Q Lightning F3 11 Sqn The airframe was overstressed prior to landing at Leuchars, Fife. It was not repaired and was allocated to ground instruction at Leuchars as 8934M
24/02/1987 XV668 586 Sea King HAS5 706 NAS Control was lost whilst practicing night cable hover procedures. It ditched and sank in 180ft of water five miles off Dodman Point, Cornwall killing the three crew. It was recovered and went to the AIU at Lee-on-Solent
27/02/1987 ZA721 EP Chinook HC1 78 Sqn Dived into the ground two miles from Mount Pleasant Airport, Falklands while on a test flight and was totally destroyed. All seven on board were killed. Probably caused by the jamming of the Upper Boot Actuator which moves the pitch of the rotor blades combined with the failure of the aft Longitudinal Cyclic Trim Actuator clutch
18/03/1987 XZ204   Lynx AH1 662 Sqn Six minutes after take off from Soest, West Germany on a post rectification flight the tail rotor gearbox failed due to lack of oil. The aircraft spiralled into the garden of a private house at Schallern and caught fire after a fence pierced the fuel tanks. Two crew were killed and three were badly injured
19/03/1987 XP707 DB Lightning F3 LTF Control was lost while inverted during a practice display over Binbrook, Lincolnshire due to a slow feeding ventral tank which altered the centre of gravity. The aircraft entered an inverted spin from which the pilot could not recover and he ejected It crashed on to the airfield near to the fire dump
30/03/1987 ZD894 BE Tornado GR1 14 Sqn Shortly after take off from Bruggen, West Germany and at 800 ft the aircraft entered an uncontrollable roll and the nose dropped. The crew ejected and it crashed near Hunxe. Caused by the failure of the joint connecting the taileron operating lever to its actuator due to the fitment of an incorrect bolt
22/04/1987 XW540   Buccaneer S2B 12 Sqn Flew into the North Sea at night seventeen miles ENE of Duncansby Head, John O Groats, Highland during a mock attack on a ship Both crew were killed
03/06/1987 ZA366   Tornado GR1 TWCU Fifteen minutes into the sortie and when low level over the sea a load bang was heard and control difficulties were encountered. The pilot attempted to recover the aircraft but the crew were forced to eject. The aircraft crashed onto the old airfield at Manby, Lincolnshire. Hydraulic fluid from a leaking pressure pipe had ignited in the fire bottle bay. The subsequent explosion damaged the control rods to the taileron actuators
17/06/1987 XZ116 DB Jaguar GR1 41 Sqn The Tornado, No1 in a 2 aircraft formation, was  in a left hand turn around Dod Grag in the Borrowdale Valley near Keswick, Cumbria. The starboard wing struck the cockpit area of the Jaguar which was flying in the opposite direction killing the pilot instantly. The second Tornado had to pull up hard to avoid the subsequent fireball. The Tornado crew ejected safely
17/06/1987 ZA493 GH Tornado GR1 20 Sqn
24/06/1987 XZ386 05 Jaguar GR1 226 OCU The pilot had to bunt and roll to port to avoid a collision when acting as an aggressor with two other Jaguars while flying up the Wye Valley three miles SE of Builth Wells, Powys. He then entered the slipstream of one of the other Jaguars and had to manoeuvre hard to avoid a collision with the ground. Control was lost but he ejected too late and was killed when the aircraft crashed. The pilot had previously ejected from Canberra WD963 on 29th June 1967 and belly landed in Canberra WT209 on 1st February 1968
01/07/1987 XR763 AP Lightning F6 5 Sqn During a live firing run on a towed banner one round struck and broke off a wheel on the banner. The pilot was unable to avoid it and it entered the air intake. This seized the No 1 engine and damaged the No 2. The pilot ejected during the approach to Akrotiri, Cyprus after the No 2 engine lost power. and the aircraft crashed into a vine yard
16/07/1987 ZA732   Gazelle AH1 BATUS Crashed after the tail hit the ground at Suffield, Canada. One crewman was killed
23/07/1987 ZF527   Sea King Mk42B WHL Ditched into the Mediterranean Sea off St. Raphael, Southern France after loss of power on No2 engine while in a sonar hover. It remained afloat but sank after the flotation bag ruptured while the aircraft was under tow. The aircraft had been intended for the Indian Navy as IN514
27/07/1987 ZD738 DD Tornado GR1 31 Sqn Entered a nose down attitude at low level which the pilot could not counter. The crew ejected and it crashed onto the North Yorkshire Moors near Sadmoor. Caused by air in the hydraulic system which effected operation of the flying controls
26/08/1987 ZE358 H Phantom F4J(UK) 74 Sqn Flew into a slight ridge at Pont-y-Gwair, ten miles SE of Aberystwyth, Dyfed during low level intercept practice with two other Phantoms. Both crew were killed
26/08/1987 ZE500   Viking T1 631 VGS The cadet lost control of the aircraft at Sealand, Clwyd after the instructor had initiated a practice launch failure at 250 feet. The instructor took control but due to insufficient height he was unable to recover the aircraft and was forced to make a crash landing. The crew were uninjured
07/09/1987 XT861 AC Phantom FG1 43 Sqn During a five ship formation practice for an air display XT861 struck the underside of XT872. The crew of XT861 ejected after it pitched up and rolled uncontrollably.  It crashed into the North Sea 55 miles east of the Tay estuary, Perthshire. XT872 landed back safely at Leuchars
07/09/1987 XT872 BT Phantom FG1 111 Sqn
15/10/1987 ZA190 R-006 Sea Harrier FRS1 801 NAS Crashed into the Atlantic Ocean north west of Ireland while operating off HMS Ark Royal. The pilot had ejected due to an engine fire caused by ingestion of a seagull
16/10/1987 XT461 CU-825 Wessex HU5 771 NAS Broke up and sank after ditching into Mounts Bay, half mile SE of Rinsey Head, Cornwall after engine failure following sea water ingestion. The crew were rescued
22/10/1987 ZD325   Harrier GR5 BAe Dunsfold Crashed into the Atlantic 250 miles SW of the Irish coast after flying for at least 1½ hours without the pilot. The parachute deployment rocket had fired through the canopy dragging him out of the cockpit. His body was found near Winterborne Stoke near Boscombe Down, Wiltshire
02/11/1987 XV790 P Harrier GR3 3 Sqn Six Harriers were to attack a target from different directions on the Otterburn Range, Northumberland. Numbers 3 and 4 failed to keep separation and collided on the crossover. Both pilots were killed one being a US Navy exchange pilot. One pilot had ejected moments before impact with the ground but too late for the seat to complete its sequence
02/11/1987 XZ136   Harrier GR3 3 Sqn
11/11/1987 XV747 G Harrier GR3 223 OCU The pilot ejected during a heavy landing at Wittering, Cambs. Allocated to ground instruction at Coltishall as 8979M
16/11/1987 XX241   Hawk T1A 4 FTS (Loan) Red 2 collided with Red 1 after the airbrake failed to operate during a display practice. five miles east of Scampton, Lincs. Wreckage from XX259 fell onto houses in Welton, the other aircraft crashed into a field. Both pilots ejected and there were no casualties on the ground
16/11/1987 XX259   Hawk T1A Red Arrows
25/11/1987 XW891 49 Gazelle HT2 705 NAS Control was lost during a spot turn at Predannack, Cornwall and the tail boom detached in the subsequent heavy landing. The crew escaped unhurt. It ended its days on the fire dump at Culdrose
12/1987 XV591 BM Phantom FG1 111 Sqn Declared a write off after a major structural fault was discovered during servicing at Leuchars, Fife. To St. Athan fire dump. The cockpit was painted in Alcock & Brown colour scheme and used for display purposes at St. Athan and later to the RAF Museum, Cosford
12/1987 XX637 Z Bulldog T1 Northumbrian UAS Over-stressed during aerobatics. The unit was detached to Teesside Airport, Cleveland. To 9197M

© Wolverhampton Aviation Group