Human error rather than a design fault caused the crash of a Royal Navy Merlin HM Mk 1 maritime helicopter last October ----- according to naval officers operating the type in Denmark during NATO's Exercise 'Blue Game'.
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size="2">Cdr Will Thomas, Commanding Officer of the Merlin Helicopter Force, told Jane's Defence Weekly that there was "nothing wrong with the aircraft" and that the accident has been attributed to problems with a "single airframe".
Anthony Worner, spokesman for the RN's Naval Air Command, said "the accident was caused by an incorrectly set rotor brake actuator" on the lost aircraft, and that there was "no inherent problem".
A full account of the 27 October accident will be determined later this year when a RN board of inquiry concludes its report. Other naval sources revealed that this investigation was now concentrating on "attributing blame" for the incident after finding the cause.
The RN's public comments come as welcome news for EH 101 manufacturer AgustaWestland, which is understood to have been concerned that waiting until the end of the board of inquiry process could have hampered its chances of winning the 100-aircraft Nordic helicopter contest.
Cdr Thomas, who is the RN's 'type chief' for the Merlin, said the aircraft flew again on 21 December, and that operational evaluation work and training is continuing ahead of the first frontline Merlin unit, 814 Naval Air Squadron, embarking on the carrier HMS Ark Royal in February 2002. "We are flying 200 hours a month and have eight aircraft in 700M Naval Air Squadron [for operation evaluation work]," he said. The RN currently has 14 Merlins at Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose, with the service's last of 44 aircraft to be delivered by late 2002.
"It remains to be seen if we get a replacement aircraft for the one lost in last year's crash, but the RN's buy of 44 Merlins had an element of attrition included in it," said a RN source. "The frontline strength of the service's two frontline Merlin squadrons will not be affected."
According to Cdr Thomas, development work on the aircraft is continuing simultaneously as the Merlin is being prepared for frontline service. "Military aircraft releases [certification of flight activity undertaken at the UK Defence Evaluation and Research Agency's Boscombe Down facility] are taking place continuously," he said. "We are training 814 Sqn's crews and developing standard operating procedures."
Cdr Thomas said Exercise 'Blue Game', which had a multinational littoral warfare theme, was contributing greatly to the Merlin's entry into service, with two aircraft forming part of the RN's 10-helicopter contribution to the exercise. "This is an excellent operating environment," he said. Conducted between 24 April and 11 May, the 'Blue Game' manoeuvres involved around 65 naval vessels drawn from Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, the UK and the USA, including 16 assigned to NATO's Standing Force Naval Atlantic and Mine Countermeasures Force North.
Shipborne helicopters also participated in the exercise, along with fixed-wing maritime patrol, fighter and bomber assets from countries, including Denmark, Germany, Norway, the UK and the USA.</font>
[This message has been edited by Heliport (edited 21 May 2001).]