1988 losses

22/01/1988 XX243   Hawk T1A Red Arrows Crashed onto the airfield at Scampton, Lincs during a low level practice formation display. The pilot was killed
03/02/1988 XV652 132 Sea King HAS3 826 NAS Whilst sonar dunking, it ditched into the Mediterranean Sea near Barcelona, Spain while operating off the Dutch Navy support ship MNlMS Poolster. It sank before it could be recovered. The crew escaped safely
02/03/1988 XX712 1 Bulldog T1 Manchester UAS Crashed onto Southport Beach shortly after take off from Woodvale, Merseyside killing the pilot
10/03/1988 XZ243 PO-635 Lynx HAS3 702 NAS Flew into the sea 48 miles off Cabo Roca, Portugal during a night approach to RFA Engadine and ˝ a mile from the ship. Both crew were killed. Recovered and allocated to BDRT at Portland and later to Gosport
30/03/1988 ZA448 EB Tornado GR1 15 Sqn Crashed on the Nellis Ranges in the Nevada Desert, USA during a 'Green Flag' exercise. The pilot had lost control after taking avoiding action due to a SAM contact. Both crew ejected safely 100ft above the ground
11/04/1988 XR769   Lightning F6 11 Sqn Crashed into the North Sea five miles off Easington, Humberside after an inflight fire. The RAAF exchange pilot ejected safely. At least twenty four Lightnings have been lost due to inflight fires. This was the last Lightning to be lost in RAF service
20/04/1988 XT860 AL Phantom FG1 43 Sqn Flew into the North Sea during Combat Air Patrol and while in sea fog during exercise 'Elder Forest', 28 miles east of Leuchars, Fife. Both crew were killed
06/05/1988 ZA672 BH Chinook HC1 18 Sqn On arrival at Hannover, West Germany it was hover taxing to pre-position for the air show. Due to lack of communication and confusion amongst the ground handlers and crew the front rotors struck a gangway pier. The aircraft reared up and the cockpit fell back onto the pier. It caught fire and was totally destroyed. Three crew were killed with one other receiving major injuries. Flying debris damaged aircraft and injured people in the vicinity
10/05/1988 ZD808 CJ Tornado GR1 17 Sqn After completing bounce manoeuvre on another Tornado the aircraft entered a steep diving left turn. The crew appeared to be unaware of the proximity of the ground until it was too late to recover. Both crew were killed when it struck the ground near  Berge-Heseke, West Germany
13/05/1988 XX197 Hawk T1A 1 TWU/79 Sqn Crashed at Newgale on take off for an air test from Brawdy, Dyfed following engine failure due to incorrect rebuild of the engine. Both crew ejected safely
20/05/1988 XV809 F Harrier GR3 3 Sqn Entered cloud at 800 ft following a steep climbing take off from Gutersloh, West Germany. It emerged from the cloud in a steep dive. The pilot did not eject and was killed when the aircraft struck the ground
30/05/1988 WF791   Meteor T7 CFS Crashed during a display at Baginton, Coventry killing the pilot. The airbrakes had been left extended during the display causing the aircraft to stall when the undercarriage was lowered. This combination referred to as the ‘Phantom Dive’ has resulted in the loss of many Meteors
14/06/1988 WT809 867 Hunter GA11 FRADU Crashed at Ilchester, Somerset after the pilot ejected following engine failure while on approach to Yeovilton
24/06/1988 XX304   Hawk T1A Red Arrows During a formation take off from Scampton, Lincolnshire as Red 4 the pilot raised the undercarriage but the aircraft sank back towards the runway. This was probably due to wake turbulence from the leading aircraft. The pilot pulled up sharply causing the airbrake to strike the runway. The aircraft then skipped into the air then pitched down, scraping the airbrake and ventral tank. The pilot ejected when the aircraft veered off the runway. It came to rest on the grass with the engine still running and a tongue of flame emanating from the jet pipe. 
02/08/1988 XV501 BH Phantom FGR2 56 Sqn The pilot lost control of the aircraft when pulling out of a dive during a practice intercept with a French Mirage F1. The crew ejected and it crashed near Mayenne, France. 56 squadron were detached to Reims at the time
09/08/1988 ZA329 B-52 Tornado GR1 TTTE Collided head on at dusk near the village of Blencarn, six miles NNE of Appleby, Cumbria and exploded. All four crew were killed. ZA593 had been part of a two ship formation
09/08/1988 ZA593 MF Tornado GR1 617 Sqn
14/08/1988 XZ319 S Gazelle AH1 670 Sqn The student pilot lost control of the aircraft while in the hover at Middle Wallop, Hants. The main rotors struck the ground and as he pulled back on the cyclic control the rotors struck the tail boom. The aircraft then struck the ground and rolled onto its port side. The pilot was slightly injured
18/08/1988 XW921 E Harrier GR3 3 Sqn Crashed on approach to Gutersloh, West Germany after the pilot ejected due to an engine fire which was probably caused by a fuel leak
22/08/1988 XP328 G-BKHC Whirlwind HAR10 Civil owned Crashed on landing at Whatfield, Suffolk
07/09/1988 XX669 B Bulldog T1 Birmingham UAS Crashed at Cosford, Shropshire following engine failure during an overshoot from a heavy landing. Allocated to 8997M at Cosford
23/09/1988 XV428 CC Phantom FGR2 228 OCU During aerobatic practice at Abingdon, Oxon the aircraft performed a loop manoeuvre immediately following a 360  hard turn. The manoeuvre appeared slower than normal and the pilot was unable to recover from the loop. The aircraft struck the ground on the airfield tail first in a nose up attitude and exploded killing both crew
13/10/1988 XZ916 130 Sea King HAS5 826 NAS Crashed into the English Channel ten miles south of the Eddystone Lighthouse off Plymouth, Devon after a night take off from RFA Resource. It sank in 78 meters of water killing two of the four on board. Part of the wreckage was recovered and moved to the AIU at Lee-on-Solent. Large sections of fuselage were later picked up in the nets of a fishing boat
18/10/1988 XV437 Y Phantom FGR2 92 Sqn The right hand engine surged during a practice interception sortie but the pilot inadvertently shut down the left hand engine. He attempted to relight the left engine but the crew ejected when it was considered that they had insufficient height remaining for a recovery. The aircraft crashed near Holzminden, West Germany
13/12/1988 WK127 CS Canberra TT18 100 Sqn Written off after the undercarriage collapsed at Wyton, Cambridgeshire. Allocated to 8985M at Wyton for ground instruction and was coded ‘FO’

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