02/01/1997 |
XZ318 |
|
Gazelle
AH1 |
654
Sqn |
The
aircraft was detached to Banja Luka, Bosnia as part of the British NATO/SFOR
peace keeping force. Following a severe ice rain storm during the night
the aircraft became covered in ice even though it had been fully
blanketed. A technician began to remove the ice with a nylon mallet which
made a large amount of indentations to the skin of the aircraft. It was
returned to the UK and sent to Fleetlands for repair assessment but was
deemed to damaged beyond economical repair |
09/01/1997 |
ZD377 |
25 |
Harrier
GR7 |
4
Sqn |
Pitched down during take off from Laarbruch, Germany due to a fault in the flap auto sensor system which put the flaps in the fully lowered position. When the pilot rotated the nozzles after the short take off the thrust blew directly onto the flaps. Impossible to correct the pitch, the Pilot ejected and landed on the airfield breaking a leg. Fortunately a cross wind blew him away from the still moving aircraft and it slid past him inverted |
14/02/1997 |
XZ300 |
L |
Gazelle
AH1 |
670
Sqn |
The pilot had
to take violent evasive action during the final stages of a practice
autorotation onto the airfield at Middle Wallop to avoid another Gazelle
which was climbing out of the airfield. All the available lift was used during the manoeuvre and the aircraft hit the ground heavily causing the main rotors to
sever the fenestron tail fan assembly. The aircraft came to rest lying on
its port side having suffered impact damage to the tail boom. Both crew
escaped safely. Allocated to ground instruction at Bramley, Hampshire |
15/02/1997 |
XW225 |
|
Puma
HC1 |
18
Sqn |
Insufficient
ground references could be found at the intended landing site near
Urspring, Germany due to snow fall and when using night vision goggles.
Another site was selected 200 yards away. In the final stages of landing
the crewman who was monitoring snow build up lost all visual references
and called for an overshoot. The pilot applied power and almost
immediately struck some trees on a steep bank. Two crew and five
passengers were able to escape but the pilot was killed. To Benson for possible rebuild but this was not sanctioned and the aircraft was scrapped |
18/02/1997 |
XZ728 |
MM-415 |
Lynx
HAS3 |
815
NAS |
Broke
free from its lashings while preparing for take off from HMS Monmouth in
rough seas fifteen miles south of Eddystone rocks on the south Devon
coast. It fell over the side of the ship and sank. Both crew were rescued
uninjured by the ships seaboat. It was recovered and taken to Fleetlands
and was deemed to be damaged beyond repair. Displayed on the gate at Yeovilton and allocated A2852 |
04/1997 |
XX830 |
|
Jaguar
T2A |
ETPS |
The
aircraft arrived at St. Athan on 15th October 1996 for overhaul. Either
prior to or during the work the main fuel tank was punctured. Attempts to
rectify the problem failed and the aircraft was deemed to be damaged
beyond economical repair. The fuselage was put into store here before
moving to Shawbury and later to Warton for new engine fitment trials |
03/04/1997 |
XP849 |
|
Scout
AH1 |
ETPS |
Damaged
beyond economical repair following a heavy landing at Netheravon,
Wiltshire when the main rotor struck the tail rotor. It was transported
back to Boscombe Down and was put up for disposal |
08/04/1997 |
XX343 |
3 |
Hawk
T1 |
ETPS |
Slewed to the
left off the runway on take off from Boscombe Down, Wiltshire after the
port tyre burst. It ran across the grass, through some trees and through a
fence within the airfield, coming to rest in a compound. Both crew ejected
and were taken to hospital. The student test pilot received spinal
injuries while the instructor received minor injuries |
15/05/1997 |
ZG753 |
F |
Tornado
F3 |
1435
Flt |
Suffered an engine fire possibly due to catastrophic failure of part of the Secondary Power System when 500 miles north of the Ascension Islands during a transit flight from Mount Pleasant in the Falkland Islands to Coningsby. The pilot made an emergency landing back at Ascension and damage to the aircraft was assessed as CAT 3. It was airlifted to Cardiff by
HeavyLift Belfast G-BEPS (formerly XR368) arriving there on 20th July and was then transferred by road to St. Athan for inspection. Later re-assessed as CAT 5 and the rear fuselage was mated to ZE163 during mid 1999. This aircraft suffered CAT 3 structural damage on the ground at Coningsby during early 1997 when the wings were swept back whilst the flaps were extended |
19/05/1997 |
ZD400 |
29 |
Harrier
GR7 |
1
Sqn |
Control
was lost after the pilot selected the nozzles to ‘hover stop’ He was
unable to regain control and ejected. The aircraft struck the ground near
to White Water Reservoir close to the northern perimeter of Wittering,
Cambridgeshire. It then became airborne again for approximately ½ mile
before crashing into trees |
03/06/1997 |
ZG861 |
93 |
Harrier
GR7 |
3
Sqn |
Suffered
engine failure due to compressor blade failure. The pilot ejected at 700
ft and it crashed into woods five miles south east of Newton Stewart,
Dumfries and Galloway. It had been on a three aircraft sortie from
Honington during Exercise Hill Foil 97/1. The pilot was taken by an 819
NAS Sea King to Newcastle hospital |
24/06/1997 |
ZD991 |
722 |
Harrier
T8 |
899
NAS |
Two
minutes after take off from Yeovilton, Somerset a muffled explosion was
heard followed by a fire warning. An emergency landing was made back at
base and the aircraft was taxied onto the grass where the crew quickly
vacated. Hot gases from a crack in the exhaust caused failure of the
engine heat blanket and damage to the aircraft’s structure. To St. Athan
for store |
21/07/1997 |
XX710 |
05 |
Bulldog
T1 |
Manchester
UAS |
The
engine cut at 200ft during a climb out from an overshoot at Woodvale,
Merseyside due to low fuel. The instructor attempted to turn the aircraft
back towards the airfield but it stalled and crashed. The instructor was
killed in the crash and the female student died later from her injuries |
20/09/1997 |
XX665 |
|
Bulldog
T1 |
Glasgow
UAS |
Force landed
in a field near Balloch, Strathclyde after suffering engine problems. The
two crew were uninjured. It was withdrawn from use and placed in store at
Newton. The pilot was also involved in the incident involving XX666 on 5th
March 1999. The aircraft was allocated to Herts & Bucks ATC Sqn at
Halton during December 2000 |
28/09/1997 |
XX443 |
Y |
Gazelle
AH1 |
658
Sqn |
Damaged
in a heavy landing in a field ten miles north east of Carlisle, Cumbria.
It was not repaired and was allocated to ground instruction at Middle
Wallop |
31/10/1997 |
ZD324 |
05 |
Harrier
GR7 |
20(R)
Sqn |
Suffered
engine failure while on approach to Wittering on return from a detachment
to Coningsby. The 3 Squadron pilot ejected safely at 600 ft and the
aircraft crashed into woodlands |
25/11/1997 |
ZD462 |
52 |
Harrier
GR7 |
1
Sqn |
Due
to President Saddam Hussein’s expulsion of UN weapons inspectors from
Iraq a build up of forces was mounted in case military action was needed.
The aircraft was part of a 1 Squadron detachment aboard HMS Invincible and
was en-route to the Gulf. The aircraft was unable to maintain the hover due to an under performing engine while alongside the ship in the Mediterranean off Sardinia. It overshot the ship into the pitch black, lost all power and struck the water. It remained afloat and the pilot was able to quickly
abandon the cockpit and was soon picked up by a Sea King. Divers were able
to fit floatation bags under the aircraft to keep it afloat long enough
for a crane to lift it back onto the deck of Invincible. Damage was
restricted to sea water contamination and it was transported to St. Athan
for repair assessment. Deemed to damaged beyond repair it was allocated to
1 SoTT at Cosford |
18/12/1997 |
XR806 |
|
VC10
C1K |
10
Sqn |
Damaged at Brize Norton, Oxfordshire when it was being de-fuelled. The 'T' tail fin of a VC-10 contains fuel which should be drained before the main tanks to maintain the correct centre of gravity. In this instance the gauge indicated that the fin tanks were empty when they were not. As the main tanks drained, the centre of gravity shifted and caused the aircraft to rear up and the tail section to strike the ground. It remained in this position for several hours before the tanks were drained and the aircraft was righted by cranes. The rear fuselage and tail section were damaged which later resulted in the aircraft being deemed damaged beyond economical repair |