Air Accidents (Hansard, 12 March 1996)

§ Mr. Soames

The information requested is as follows:

(a) We have no record of an accident involving a Royal Navy Lynx on 23 February 1994.
(b) A Royal Navy Sea Harrier was lost to warring party action on an operational mission over Bosnia-Herzegovina on 16 April 1994. The crew of one ejected safely.
(c) A Royal Navy Sea King was conducting a medical evacuation from a ship off Lizard point, Cornwall, on 25 March 1994. The stern of the ship yawed rapidly, making contact with the winch wire which was transferring a diver to the vessel. The wire became entangled and snapped, causing the diver to fall approximately 15 ft to the ship's deck, sustaining minor injuries.
(d) An RAF steward fell from an open door of an RAF VC 10 parked at Dulles airport, Washington on 5 May 1994, sustaining injuries to his elbow, hip and shoulder.
(e) An RAF Tornado ejector seat fired accidentally during servicing at Boscombe down on 20 May 1994, injuring the arm and leg of an RAF tradesman.
(f) The wingtip of an RAF Nimrod struck a parked vehicle at RAF Fairford on 30 July 1994 whilst taxi-ing, causing injury to the civilian occupant of the vehicle.
(g) A Royal Navy Lynx was undergoing maintenance at RNAS Portland on 5 September 1994. While descending from an aircraft servicing platform, a maintenance rating slipped and fell approximately 5 ft, injuring a foot.
(h) A Royal Marine landed heavily, injuring a leg, during a rapid roping serial from a RN Sea King at RAF Marham on 12 October 1994.
(i) An Army Air Corps Gazelle belonging to the School of Army Aviation was being used to conduct hover exercises at Middle Wallop airfield on 11 November 1994. During the flight, a student was given limited control of the hovering 505 aircraft. He made a control error and the instructor was unable to stabilise the helicopter before it made contact with the ground; the occupants sustained minor injuries.