Helicopter crashes into field in Devon

[medod]

Originally Posted by Og1

Assuming the graphic is correct, ZJ119 was c/s Sword2, as Ammo Boiler points out. ZJ131 was c/s Sword1. The accident site is just over 900ft amsl. The posted graphic (if correct) would appear to show Sword2 orbiting the accident site.

If that graphic is correct, Sword2 was orbiting a location about 25 km from the accident site.

[SATCOS WHIPPING BOY]

The graphic IMHO is not correct. Sword 2 was out in the area for quite some time and tracked pretty well on the ADSB type sites. Often stopping and orbiting in various locations. Coastguard AW139 was also tracking well and went to a location just north west of Sourton Down .

Unconfirmed eyewitness reports suggest there was fire before impact.

[Prob30Tempo TSRA]

I don’t think you can put much store in the “ witnesses “. Various reports of the aircraft “ mechanically failing “ but I’m not sure in the cacophony of a very low flying Merlin you’d be able to tell if you weren’t qualified

[DogTailRed2]

Do military helicopters carry a black box?

[Prob30Tempo TSRA]

I think so

[ZH844]

The Merlin Mk4 was fitted with a replacement FDR during MLSP so hopefully the cause of the incident can be determined once it has been recovered from the crash site and the data extracted.

[JagRigger]

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