1990 losses

09/01/1990 XZ108 GD Jaguar GR1A 54 Sqn The port wing of the Jaguar struck the tail fin of the Tornado after they approached each other head on at Spadeadam weapons range in Northumberland, oth pilots being unaware of each others presence. The Tornado crew ejected after being unable to control the violently rolling aircraft and it crashed near Hexham. The Jaguar pilot managed to correct his rolling aircraft and made an emergency landed at Leeming. It was repaired but see 03/09/1998
09/01/1990 ZA394 I Tornado GR1A 2 Sqn
25/01/1990 ZE525   Viking T1 626 VGS All badly damaged  when  the hangar  collapsed  on them  at Predannack, Cornwall. ZE525 and ZE612 were sold to the RAFGSA at Bicester as R70 and R71 respectively. ZE634 became BGA3076 with the Oxford Gliding Club
25/01/1990 ZE612 Viking T1 626 VGS
25/01/1990 ZE634   Viking T1 626 VGS
11/02/1990 ZB687   Gazelle AH1 656 Sqn Hit by IRA small arms fire while on border patrol at Derry Gorry between Augher and Clogher, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. Oil pressure was lost and the aircraft broke up in the subsequent heavy forced landing. Three of the four occupants received minor injuries. 
22/02/1990 ZH203   Tucano T51 Shorts Suffered catastrophic structural failure of the tailplane during flutter clearance tests with underwing stores. The pilot ejected off Rathlin Island in the north channel off Northern Ireland but was found drowned in his life jacket, tangled in the parachute lines. The aircraft was to have been delivered to the Kenyan AF
25/02/1990 XW843   Gazelle AH1 2 Flt During a five aircraft formation landing  at Floro, Norway the main rotors enmeshed with each other causing extensive damage. XW843 was allocated to the SAE at Middle Wallop
25/02/1990 XZ348   Gazelle AH1 2 Flt
04/1990 XV478 B Phantom FGR2 19 Sqn Badly damaged in a ground fire at Wildenrath, West Germany. Due to the impending retirement of the type it was not repaired
10/04/1990 XF985 877 Hunter T8C FRADU Crashed at Roman Farm, near Charminster, Dorset. The pilot had ejected due to a jammed port aileron. Caused by failure of a pin in the port aileron hydraulic jack
27/04/1990 XV719 B Wessex HC2 72 Sqn Hit the ground hard at Bishops Court, Northern Ireland during a practice wing over manoeuvre, breaking off the tail. The crew suffered major injuries
30/04/1990 ZA454 EH Tornado GR1 15 Sqn Failure of one or more stator vanes started an uncontrollable fire in the right hand engine, This damaged the fly by wire control and other vital systems. During recovery to Goose Bay, Canada a fuel imbalance rendered the aircraft uncontrollable. The crew ejected 22 miles east of the base
30/04/1990 XV402 C Phantom FGR2 56 Sqn The port mainwheel tyre burst during an intentional firm landing at Valley, Anglesey. The wheel wore away and sparks ignited fuel from a ruptured fuel tank. The navigator ejected but the pilot stayed with the aircraft. The fire was extinguished but it had caused considerable damage to the underside of the aircraft. Due to the retirement of the type it was not repaired
30/04/1990 WR965   Shackleton AEW2 8 Sqn Flew into a 823ft hill 30 feet from the top near Northton, South Harris in the Outer Hebrides after entering low cloud. All ten on board were killed. It was 18 miles further south west than its intended position but the pilot should have initiated a climb on encountering bad weather. The cause was therefore attributed to navigational and pilot error
04/05/1990 WP772 Q Chipmunk T10 BFWF Damaged the fuselage and wings in a heavy landing at Middle Wallop, Hants. Not repaired and stored at St. Athan until sold to Manston History Museum, Kent
08/05/1990 XZ460 128 Sea Harrier FRS1 801 NAS Flew into the sea and exploded after take from HMS Invincible while operating off Sardinia. The pilot was killed
09/05/1990 XX347   Hawk T1 4 FTS Crashed at Valley, Anglesey after the Brunei student pilot ejected following control problems
01/06/1990 XZ734 HM-475 Lynx HAS3 815 NAS Hermione Flt While operating off Gibraltar a freak wave combined with a hard turn to port took the aircraft over the side of the ship after the deck securing attachment broke. It sank within three minutes but the crew escaped
21/06/1990 XH669   Victor K2 55 Sqn Severe overheating in the starboard engine damaged the flight controls resulting in an emergency landing at Waddington, Lincs. It was not repaired and was allocated to 9092M on the dump at Waddington
27/06/1990 WH972 CM Canberra E15 100 Sqn While taking part in a Joint Maritime Course the pilot elected to overshoot from a poorly executed ILS approach Kinloss, Grampian in poor visibility. During the overshoot the port engine surged causing the aircraft to yaw rapidly to the left. Both crew ejected seconds before the aircraft hit the ground but the pilot was killed
14/07/1990 WG655 GN-910 Sea Fury T20 FAA Historic Flt Force-landed into a field at Bruton, Somerset  after take off from  Yeovilton due to engine failure. The aircraft received little damage in the landing but then veered into two large oak trees and was destroyed. The two crew escaped with minor injuries. Caused by fatigue failure of the No 2 connecting rod eye end causing total destruction of the front bank of cylinders
14/08/1990 ZA464 GM Tornado GR1 20 Sqn Collided almost head on twelve miles east of Spurn Head, Humberside and crashed into the North Sea. Of the four crew only the pilot of ZA464 survived
14/08/1990 ZA545   Tornado GR1 TWCU
16/08/1990 ZA561 JH Tornado GR1 27 Sqn Dived into the North Sea ten miles east of Spurn Head, Humberside after failing to recover from a steeper than usual dive during a practice low level bomb loft manoeuvre on a ship at night. Both crew were killed
12/09/1990 ZB680 B Gazelle AH1 3 Regt The aircraft struck the ground when in a turn, bounced twice and caught fire while on the Suffield training area, Alberta, Canada. The intention had been to show the German passenger a herd of Prongthorn Antelope. The two crew escaped with minor injuries but the passenger was killed
12/09/1990 XZ387 GG Jaguar GR1 54 Sqn Flew into the sea in the Solway Firth five miles off Southerness Point, Dumfries & Galloway killing the pilot. The aircraft was part of a four ship formation preparing for Operation Granby in the Persian Gulf against Iraq
09/10/1990 XV394 T Phantom FGR2 92 Sqn Damaged in a flying accident in Germany. Repair at Wildenrath was halted due to the types withdrawal. Scrapped during September 1991
17/10/1990 ZD355 01 Harrier GR5 1 Sqn The aircraft was en-route Aalborg to Wittering and was passing 23,500 ft when the engine failed. The pilot ejected and the aircraft crashed on the island of Moers, Denmark. Caused by fatigue failure of a second stage low pressure compressor
18/10/1990 ZA466 FH Tornado GR1 16 Sqn The undercarriage caught the barrier when on approach to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia after it had been raised by mistake. The aircraft slammed onto the runway and caught fire. Both crew ejected safely. It was returned to the UK for spares recovery and was later allocated to the BDRF at St. Athan
13/11/1990 XX754   Jaguar GR1A Gulf Det During a formation join up manoeuvre the aircraft flew into a low ridge 87ft above ground level in the desert in Qatar, 100 miles south of Bahrain. The pilot did not eject and was killed. The Jaguars were on a low level training sortie as part of the work up for Operation Granby in the Gulf
03/12/1990 ZA768 F Gazelle AH1 670 Sqn Struck the ground heavily at Netheravon, Wiltshire after the instructor failed to take over from the student early enough during a misjudged practice autorotation. The aircraft turned over twice and the main rotor severed the tail boom. The two crew escaped safely
07/12/1990 XR519 WC Wessex HC2 2 FTS Written off in a ground resonance incident at Shawbury, Shropshire due to a faulty hydraulic component in the lead-lag damper (rotor head). The airframe was disposed of for scrap Ground resonance occurs when the rotors move out of synchronisation due to a fault, as above or due to a heavy landing or sudden control movement. This causes the centre of gravity to move outwards and if not controlled, the helicopter will begin to rock and very quickly shake itself to pieces

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