Royal Navy Probes Merlin Mk4 Crash That Killed 3 in Devon
Updated
Updated · BBC.com · Jun 4
Royal Navy Probes Merlin Mk4 Crash That Killed 3 in Devon
3 articles · Updated · BBC.com · Jun 4
Summary
Accident investigators and emergency crews remained overnight at a field near Sourton, Devon, after the Merlin Mk4 went down around 03:45 BST during a training exercise, killing three Royal Navy personnel.
Floodlights were set up around the wreckage so teams could continue work, while the Defence Accident Investigation Branch leads the inquiry, according to the Civil Aviation Authority.
The three crew members have not yet been publicly identified, but tributes have come from the Princess of Wales, Navy head Gen Sir Gwyn Jenkins and Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
The helicopter is understood to be from RNAS Yeovilton in Somerset, and the crash follows another Merlin Mk4 accident reported in 2024.