A Royal Navy Lynx has Crashed whilst on SAR Mission.

[Adrian Kelland]

Originally Posted by Decodiver

It appears that they have located the bodies close to the downed Lynx.

My father flew out of Heron in the early eighties and was also killed flying.

I just feel really sad for the families who will have an empty Christmas, may God go with the brave crew.

Dave

Aye, and I find it all the sadder that they may well have been out on a false alarm.

I had a good chat with some of the SAR guys from Culdrose at the Yeovil Air day this year. Makes a change to be able to say thank you in person. They said that they rarely get to meet 'customers' after the event. Good to speak to them.

Many of us take risks doing the things we enjoy. Not many of us take risks for others.

Adrian

[nikos]

Originally Posted by Adrian Kelland

Aye, and I find it all the sadder that they may well have been out on a false alarm.


Many of us take risks doing the things we enjoy. Not many of us take risks for others.

Adrian

... a tragic waste of life. Why did'nt they do a head count on the ship before calling out the SAR mission?

Why did'nt they use a Sea King which can at least ditch safely?

My condolences to the the families of the victims.

[Adrian Kelland]

Originally Posted by nikos

... a tragic waste of life. Why did'nt they do a head count on the ship before calling out the SAR mission?

Why did'nt they use a Sea King which can at least ditch safely?

My condolences to the the families of the victims.

Perhaps the Lynx was from one of the ships or closer as part of the exercise. Also I suspect it may take some time for a roll call. Time that would matter.

Sad all the same.

[Pez]

My thoughts are with the families also. A bad time of year to have to receive a knock at the door with such tragic news. Fortunately the RN and the Fleet Air Arm are good at providing whatever support the families wish to receive. As with all these incidents, a Board of Inquiry will have been convened and the answers to all the questions asked will be found. unfortunately, press speculation based on snippets of info just add to the suffering. I know this from personal experience of too many similar events.

I think all we can say is that 4 professional aviators have tragically lost their lives doing their job without question as to why they were there. When the call comes you go and help, the same way the RNLI or anyone else in that line of work does.

I will be having a wee tot tonight my WAFU friends, rest in peace.

[Jay]

Rest easy guys.

[Dinger]

Sleep well lads - you made us feel that bit safer in the water.

Dinger

[Bogwoppit]

My thoughts are with their Families and Shipmates..

[DVR]

Tragic waste of life, R I P lads.

[NeilP]

This is really sad news and I can only echo the words that others have said.

Rest Easy Lads

[Mr T.]

Navy helicopter crash victims are named
(Filed: 10/12/2004)

The Ministry of Defence has named the four airmen who died when their Royal Navy Lynx helicopter crashed into the sea off the Cornish coast.
Lynx helicopter

A Lynx helicopter similar to the one that crashed


The aircrew were Lt Dave Cole, 34, and Lt Rob Dunn, 29, both from Dorset, Lt Jamie Mitchell, 29, from Dundee and LAEM Richard Darnell, 31, from Torquay

The men were from 815 Naval Air Squadron based at Royal Naval Air Station in Yeovilton, Somerset.

Their Lynx crashed into the sea 17 miles east of Lizard Point on Wednesday night after being scrambled on a search and rescue operation.

Two Navy ratings on board the frigate HMS Montrose believed they had heard cries for help coming from the water but the alert turned out to be a false alarm.

Radio and radar contact with the Lynx was lost around 40 minutes after it was launched

Cdr Mark Sheehan, commander of the Lynx helicopter force, said last night a Board of Inquiry had been set up to investigate the crash.

A roll-call on HMS Montrose and HMS St Albans, which were conducting training exercises, later accounted for all their crew members.

A French warship which was in the area also said it had accounted for its personnel.

Alan Barnes, coxswain of the Falmouth Lifeboat, said his crew had recovered panels, the tip of a blade and what appeared to be navigation equipment.

The largest piece of the wreckage they found in an area of the sea about 20 miles south-east of Lizard Point was the size of a coffee table-top.

Speaking at Devonport Naval Base in Plymouth, Cdr Sheehan said a remote-controlled underwater vehicle fitted with a low-light video camera had been sent down to the seabed and would be used to assess the wreckage in more detail.