1995 losses

03/1995 XX408   Gazelle AH1 Ex 670 Sqn The aircraft was delivered to Fleetlands for overhaul from 670 Sqn. After being stripped down, an accumulation of previously carried out squadron level minor repairs were discovered which, when added together rendered the aircraft beyond economical major repair. It was withdrawn from use and allocated to Eurocopter in France as a static test rig during 1995
10/03/1995 ZE789 AU Tornado F3 56(R) Sqn Crashed into the North Sea eleven miles off Spurn Point, Humberside following a catastrophic failure of the left hand engine. The intensity of the subsequent fire melted the flying control rods which rendered the aircraft uncontrollable. Both crew ejected and were picked up by a Sea King but the navigator was killed during the ejection sequence after suffering severe head injuries
07/04/1995 ZF644   EH101 Westlands During a test flight from Yeovil the helicopter suffered loss of control due to an uncommanded movement of the tail rotor to full pitch while at 12,000ft. The second pilot and two test engineers parachuted to safety from 10,000ft. The chief pilot stayed with the helicopter and steered it away from the village of Yarcombe, Somerset. He baled out of the cockpit window at 1,200ft and was slightly injured as his chute did not have time to fully deploy. The aircraft crashed into a field close to the A303 Exeter-London road. Caused by a sub-standard component in the tail rotor pitch control system
16/05/1995 XW666   Nimrod R1 51 Sqn During a test flight from Kinloss after an overhaul the No 4 starboard engine caught fire, this spread to the No 3 engine and the wing. An emergency landing was attempted at Lossiemouth but the pilot was forced to ditch in the sea three miles short of the airfield. The seven crew abandoned the aircraft into their dinghies and were rescued by helicopter. The aircraft broke its back on hitting the water and later sank in 100ft of water. It was later recovered and used in the conversion of XV249 in to a replacement R1. Electrical arcing had initiated the starter system on No 4 engine. With no load the system ran at high speed resulting in the failure of a nut securing the turbine fan. The disk fractured the engine casing and punctured a fuel tank and started the fire. The nose section was preserved at the Jet Aviation Preservations Group museum at Long Marston, Warwickshire arriving there during August 1999. It later moved north to Aeroventure at Doncaster
01/06/1995 ZG475   Harrier GR7 SAOEU No attempt was made to pull out of a decent until the low altitude warning sounded at 100 ft. Full back stick was applied but the aircraft struck the water in the Solway Firth off the Burrow Head peninsula, Dumfries and Galloway, skipped and broke up. It had been on a development flight from Boscombe Down and the pilot, who was the SAOEU commander, was possibly distracted. He did not eject and was killed
21/06/1995 XZ373 GF Jaguar GR1A 54 Sqn Due to a fuel imbalance in the underwing tanks control was lost during ACT. The US exchange pilot could not regain control and ejected at 5,000 ft. The aircraft crashed into the Adriatic Sea and had been operating from Gioia del Colle, Italy
25/07/1995 XX623 M Bulldog T1 East Midlands UAS Sustained wing and undercarriage damage in a forced landing two miles NW of Folkestone, Kent after engine failure. On landing, the right undercarriage leg collapsed causing the aircraft to pivot on the right wing. The left main wheel and nose wheel then collapsed. The two crew escaped unhurt. This aircraft had previously sustained structural damage during a landing incident on 22nd July 1976 'qv' and was not allowed to perform aerobatics as a result. Due to this second incident and the announcement towards the end of 1998 that the Bulldog was to be replaced, it was not repaired and was withdrawn from use and stored at Newton. It was later sold for spares use to a private owner who operates a former Guyana Air Force Bulldog in Wiltshire
26/07/1995 ZH655 Q Harrier T10 20(R) Sqn The configuration of the aircraft coupled with the low fuel state and empty water tanks resulted in the centre of gravity being further forward than normal. During a conventional landing at Wittering, Cambridgeshire and at 80 ft the nose pitched down. This was corrected by the instructor but it reoccurred when at 40 ft. With insufficient height to recover the aircraft struck the runway hard. The undercarriage was torn off and the aircraft slid for half a mile down the runway on its nose. The crew escaped unhurt
05/08/1995 ZE654   Viking T1 631 VGS Collided at 2,000ft over Sealand, Clwyd. ZE654 crashed near houses killing the instructor and the fourteen year old female cadet. ZE677 crash-landed back at Sealand despite severe damage to a wing and the cockpit.  The instructor suffered back injuries and the student suffered from shock. ZE677 was repairable
05/08/1995 ZE677   Viking T1 631 VGS
08/08/1995 XW870 F Gazelle AH1 2 FTS/CFS Damaged in a heavy landing at Shawbury, Salop. With the reorganisation of helicopter training due to take place early 1997 which will result in the replacement of the Gazelle, it was not repaired and was used for spares. It was finally taken to the Fire School at Manston during November 2001
10/08/1995 XX288 DX Hawk T1 208(R) Sqn Veered left off the runway onto the grass during a 'touch and go' at Mona, Anglesey. The student pilot selected full power but decided that the aircraft would not become airborne and ejected. The pilotless aircraft then took off, passed over the A5 road and crashed into a rocky outcrop on open farmland and caught fire
20/08/1995 XZ668 Y Lynx AH7 663 Sqn Struck the surface of the Adriatic Sea in poor weather off Croatia seven miles from Ploce while practising missile evasion manoeuvres. It  turned over and sank drowning four of the five on board. Airframe to Middle Wallop
27/08/1995 ZE655   Viking T1 631 VGS Landed inverted and broke up after hitting trees while on approach to at Sealand, Clwyd. The instructor and student were seriously injured
02/09/1995 XV239 39 Nimrod MR2 120 Sqn During a climb out as part of its display during the Canadian National Exhibition Air show over Lake Ontario off Toronto speed reduced too far and the aircraft stalled while in a turn at 950ft. There was insufficient height to recover the aircraft and it crashed into the lake. It broke up on impact killing the seven crew
05/10/1995 XX451 CU58 Gazelle HT2 705 NAS Flew into overhead power cables, burst into flames and crashed into the River Wye at Livox Quarry near Chepstow, Gwent. Both crew were killed. It was one of a pair on a low level flight from Shawbury to Culdrose
20/10/1995 XZ457 714 Sea Harrier F/A2 899 NAS A compressor blade detached on take off from Yeovilton, Somerset while at 80ft and the engine exploded. The pilot made an immediate heavy forced landing and ejected through the fire. The aircraft ran into the barrier at the end of the runway and was extensively damaged
30/10/1995 ZE733 GE Tornado F3 43 Sqn ZE210 collided with the underside of ZE733 during a mishandled join up manoeuvre at 12,000 ft at night and using night vision goggles. Control of ZE733 was immediately lost and both crew ejected safely and were rescued by a Sea King from Boulmer. The aircraft crashed into the North Sea sixty miles NE of Berwick, Northumberland. ZE210 suffered damage to the cockpit area but managed to returned to Leuchars. Due to damage received it was not repaired and was allocated to spares use at Leuchars before finally being dumped at St. Athan
30/10/1995  ZE210 GD Tornado F3 43 Sqn

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