1992 losses

01/1992 XZ987 C Harrier GR3 1417 Flt Suffered a wheels up landing in Belize. To Wittering for repair but with the withdrawal of the type this was cancelled. Allocated to the gate at Stafford
07/02/1992 XW927 02 Harrier T4 Gutersloh Station Flt Damaged in a heavy landing at Gutersloh, Germany. With the withdrawal of the type from service it was not repaired and was later displayed at Hermeskeil Museum in Germany
15/02/1992 WV363 872 Hunter T8C FRADU Crashed into The Minch seventy miles off Stornoway, Isle of Lewis after the pilot ejected following engine failure. It was carrying out exercise air raids on HMS Battleaxe. The aircraft was not recovered
12/05/1992 ZF316 Tucano T1 CFS Crashed on Chapelford Farm, Clochan, Fochabers, Grampian after loss of control during spinning trials by a 208 Sqn crew. They both ejected safely
12/05/1992 XZ644   Lynx AH7 653 Sqn The crew were practising display routines over Steinheim, Germany when control was lost during an unauthorised wing over manoeuvre. It struck the ground heavily and broke up. The crew escaped with only minor injuries
14/05/1992 XW543   Buccaneer S2B 12 Sqn Suffered a hydraulic failure while returning to Lossiemouth from France. It diverted to St. Mawgan, Cornwall where it made a wheels up landing. With the withdrawal of the type from service it was not repaired and was scrapped during August 1992
14/05/1992 XZ990 D Harrier GR3 233 OCU A No 1 fan blade threw its outer half through the engine causing immediate loss of power whilst in the hover at 100 ft over the airfield at Wittering, Cambridgeshire. It descended rapidly and struck the ground heavily. The pilot did not eject and was severely injured. The aircraft was soon engulfed in flames and the fire crews doused the cockpit area to free the unconscious pilot. They were commended for their bravery and dedication which saved the pilots life. Caused by fatigue failure of the first stage low pressure compressor blade due to foreign object damage on an earlier occasion
28/05/1992 ZA193 N-126 Sea Harrier FRS1 800 NAS Crashed into the Mediterranean Sea while hovering alongside HMS Invincible off the coast of Cyprus. The nose began to pitch down, the pilot was unable to correct it and ejected safely. The aircraft sank and was not recovered
30/05/1992 ZE497   Viking T1 662 VGS The student allowed the starboard wing to drop during take off from Arbroath, Tayside. The instructor took control but the wing caught the long grass causing the aircraft to yaw. He released the launch cable but the aircraft became airborne, ground looped and then struck the ground in a nose down attitude. The two occupants escaped with minor bruising. The aircraft was rebuilt and sold to the RAFGSA at Bicester
27/06/1992 RM689 MN-E Spitfire XIV Rolls Royce Struck the runway at the bottom of a loop during an air display at Woodford, Greater Manchester. It burst into flames killing the pilot
09/07/1992 XN976   Buccaneer S2B 208 Sqn Crashed into the North Sea, thirty eight miles east of Leuchars, Fife during a four aircraft simulated ship attack. The probable cause was a fault in the rudder, causing it to move to port. With the aircraft at 100ft and in a left turn the crew would not have had time to eject and were both killed
09/07/1992 ZE589   Viking T1 ACCGS Part of the ACCGS were on detachment to Portmoak, Fife near Glenrothes. Despite advice not to fly near a ridge due to little lift, the instructor headed for the ridge. Finding little lift the student turned towards base. The instructor took control and continued to look for lift. The glider was caught by a down draught and fell out of the sky striking the hillside. As it slid down the hillside the tail and starboard wing were ripped off, the port mainspar snapped, the canopies disintegrated and the front cockpit folded up. Luckily both crew were not seriously injured. Sold, repaired and became BGA3045/EXT at Bicester
15/07/1992 XV473 N Phantom FGR2 56 Sqn Made an emergency landing at Waddington, Lincs due to a fuel pump blow in a wing tank. With the withdrawal of the type from service it was not repaired and was allocated to the fire dump at Waddington. It was destroyed by fire during its first fire practice as the fuel tanks had not been drained beforehand
07/08/1992 ZD350 05 Harrier GR5 1 Sqn Suffered engine failure due to stator blade failure shortly after take off from Wittering, Cambs. The pilot ejected safely from only 24ft and the aircraft crashed onto the runway. To 9189M
09/1992 XS793   Andover CC2 C in C RAFG Damaged in a heavy landing in Germany. It was declared a write off after corrosion was discovered in the wing root area. To 9178M
30/09/1992 XX334   Hawk T1A 19(R) Sqn Crashed onto the airfield at Chivenor, Devon following a practice engine failure and return, after take off. The instructor ejected but the student pilot remained with the aircraft
16/10/1992 XX613 A Bulldog T1 Queens UAS Suffered engine failure while on approach to Belfast City Airport, Northern Ireland. During a forced landing near Comber it struck a hedge-topped stone wall and was destroyed. The instructor was killed and the student was seriously injured
21/10/1992 ZG829 Sea King Mk.4 ETPS During a tethered flight exercise the captain attempted to leave the hover site for refuelling with the tether still attached. The aircraft pitched nose down from 10ft, struck the ground, rolled onto its port side and burst into flames. The three crew escaped, one receiving major injuries
27/11/1992 XW233 CN Puma HC1 230 Sqn Both helicopters entered the Army landing site at Bessbrook, Northern Ireland unaware of each other. The Gazelles rotors cut into the cockpit of the Puma and both helicopters crashed in flames. All four on board the Puma were killed, the two in the Gazelle were badly injured. Caused by inadequate use of the correct radio procedures and a breakdown in the passage of information between the RAF and the AAC
27/11/1992 ZB681 Gazelle AH1 665 Sqn
30/11/1992 ZB668 Gazelle AH1 UNFICYP Damaged in a forced landing in the Troodos Mountains, Cyprus after suffering a bearing failure in the clutch and freewheel device. To Fleetlands store pending a decision on a rebuild. It was not rebuild and was allocated to the SEAE at Arborfield during June 1996 as TAD015
15/12/1992 XX387 Gazelle AH1 651 Sqn Damaged when it struck the ground hard at Hildesheim, Germany during a practice engine off landing. Allocated to the SEAE at Arborfield during September 1995 as TAD014

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