List of accidents and incidents involving the Westland Sea King

Accidents and incidents involving the Westland Sea King
Royal Air Force Sea King HAR3A

This is a list of accidents and incidents involving the Westland Sea King helicopter, a British license-built and developed version of the American Sikorsky Sea King anti-submarine and utility helicopter,[1] As of 2012, Westland Sea Kings have been involved in forty-six significant accidents and incidents, involving forty-eight aircraft, during their service career. This total includes thirty accidents and incidents involving Royal Navy helicopters, one involving a helicopter operated by the Empire Test Pilot's School, two involving helicopters owned by the German Navy, three involving helicopters operated by the Royal Norwegian Air Force, four were Sea Kings owned by the Indian Navy, one owned by the Pakistan Navy, and five involving Sea Kings operated by the Royal Australian Navy. Sixty-nine pilots and crewmembers have been killed in accidents involving Westland Sea Kings.

Of the accidents and incidents included in this list, six were caused by engine failure, while six flight-into-terrain accidents were recorded, with two additional hard landings resulting in serious damage to the aircraft. Seven more of the accidents and incidents were a result of problems in the helicopters' drive systems, while five others were caused by collisions, three of them being mid-air collisions - two with other Sea Kings, the third, with a Lockheed Hercules transport -, one a collision with the superstructure of a ship, and another a collision with a high-tension cable. Two accidents were the result of failure of the main rotor, with two others being caused by weather, while one accident each was caused by instrument failure, bird strike (presumed),[2] fuel exhaustion, and on-board fire; eleven other accidents and incidents did not mention a specific cause, simply that the helicopter involved crashed or ditched without further detail being provided.

1970s

1972
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978

sept?oct?- royal navy seaking mk2 "xv647"call sign 412 ditched in gulf of mexico stayed afoat with rotors still turning ,sea was calm and seaking was able to taxi afloat till hms blake arrived beside it ,and aircraft shut down and was recovered by crane onto midships of hms blake

1979

09 October 1979 - Royal Navy Sea King HAS2 "XV707" of 706 Squadron suffered a tail rotor failure on approach to landing at RNAS Culdrose and crashed. Nil injuries to the two crew ( Student and Instructor)

1980s

1980
1981
1982
1983
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989

1990s

1990
1991
1992
1993
1998
1999

2000s

2003
2005

References

Notes
  1. Chant 1996, p.69
  2. 1 2 3 Burden et al 1986, p.265
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Howard/Burrow/Myall 2010, pp. 229-279
  4. Westland Sea King MK41 89-61: Report on the Accident at Yeovil Airfield, Somerset on 16 January 1974. Great Britain. Dept. of Transport. Accidents Investigation Branch. 1975.
  5. 1 2 "Flugunfälle mit Sea King" (in German). Seefliger.de. Retrieved 2012-04-19.
  6. 1 2 3 4 "ADF Aircraft Serial Numbers: RAN N16 Westland Sea King Mk.50A". ADF-Serials. Flight Safety Foundation. Retrieved 2012-04-19.
  7. "HMAS Ibis". Royal Australian Navy. Retrieved 2012-04-19.
  8. "1960-1980". Royal Australian Navy Clearance Divers' Association. Retrieved 2012-04-19.
  9. 1 2 3 "Sea King Mk.43". Helis.com. Retrieved 2012-04-19.
  10. 1 2 3 "Sea King Mk.42". Helis.com. Retrieved 2012-04-19.
  11. Burden et al 1986, p.266
  12. Burden et al 1986, p.264
  13. Burden et al 1986, p.262
  14. "Sea King Mk.45". Helis.com. Retrieved 2012-04-19.
  15. "Sea King Mk.42B". Helis.com. Retrieved 2012-04-19.
  16. "INAS 330 "Harpoons"". Bharat-Rakshak.com. Retrieved 2012-04-19.
  17. Sea King Board of Inquiry. Australian Government: Department of Defense. Accessed 2012-04-19.
Bibliography
  • Burden, Rodney A., Michael A. Draper, Douglas A. Rough, Colin A Smith and David Wilton. Falklands: The Air War. Twickenham, UK: British Aviation Research Group, 1986. ISBN 0 906339 05 7.
  • Chant, Christopher. Fighting Helicopters of the 20th Century. Twickenham, UK: Tiger Books International, 1996. ISBN 978-1-85501-808-2
  • Howard, L. Burrow, M and Myall, E. Fleet Air Arm Helicopters since 1943. Staplefield, Sussex, UK: Air-Britain, 2011. ISBN 978-0-85130-304-8
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