23/01/1978 |
XW426 |
60 |
Jet
Provost T5A |
2
FTS |
Crashed
at Riggs Farm, Dalby Forest, North Yorks following loss of control in a
dive. The crew ejected but one was killed |
30/01/1978 |
XW205 |
CB |
Puma
HC1 |
33
Sqn |
Crashed
near Voss, Norway during exercise 'Arctic Express'. The starboard cabin
door came off and struck the tail rotor. The aircraft began to break up
and landed vertically onto a wooded hillside killing three crew |
07/02/1978 |
XR541 |
61 |
Gnat
T1 |
CFS |
Ran
into the barrier at Mona, Anglesey causing the nose wheel to collapse.
Allocated to St. Athan as 8602M |
17/02/1978 |
XX404 |
|
Gazelle
AH1 |
658
Sqn |
Crashed at Jonesborough, Armagh, Northern Ireland after the pilot lost control during a turn when flying at high speed to avoid small arms fire. It struck a wall and came to rest in a field on its right side killing one of the the two passengers. The pilot was trapped underneath the helicopter but survived due to his helmet taking the weight of the helicopter |
03/03/1978 |
XR981 |
|
Gnat
T1 |
Red
Arrows |
Crashed
during practice aerobatics at Kemble, Gloucestershire. Both crew were
killed |
05/03/1978 |
WZ875 |
|
Chipmunk
T10 |
12
AEF |
Crashed
four miles north of Dunfermline, Fife during unauthorised low flying and
aerobatics over a Loch. The pilot was killed |
21/03/1978 |
XX971 |
DE |
Jaguar
GR1 |
31
Sqn |
No2
engine failed on take off from Lahr, West German. The pilot jettisoned the
external stores and attempted an emergency landing on one engine. He
allowed speed and height to decay and ejected when he considered that he
would not reach the airfield |
10/04/1978 |
XV132 |
|
Scout
AH1 |
658
Sqn |
Crashed
into Lough Neagh, Ulster, Northern Ireland after flying into a snow storm.
Both crew were killed |
26/04/1978 |
XR544 |
60 |
Gnat
T1 |
4
FTS |
The
crew ejected on approach to Valley, Anglesey after engine failure caused
by fuel pump failure. It crashed onto a beach on the edge of the airfield |
27/04/1978 |
XX149 |
N |
Jaguar
T2 |
226
OCU |
Emerged
from cloud in a steep inverted dive and crashed into a mountain at Cullen,
Banff. The crew initiated ejection moments before the aircraft crashed but
they were both killed |
12/05/1978 |
XP904 |
|
Scout
AH1 |
654
Sqn |
Crashed
into trees at Lemgo near Lippstadt, West Germany in a near vertical
descent with virtually no rotor speed. It struck the ground and caught
fire killing the two crew. Possibly caused by inadvertent closure of the
fuel cock in mistake for the heater control |
12/05/1978 |
XT868 |
R-000 |
Phantom
FG1 |
892
NAS |
During a practice display at Leuchars, Fife for the last Naval flight of the Phantom the aircraft flew low downwind along the runway axis and then entered a tight right hand turn through 180º to fly back along the runway. With a high sink rate it just missed the QRA sheds and the pilot ejected horizontally as the right wing struck the ground and was seriously injured. The observer attempted to eject moments later but was killed |
12/05/1978 |
XX410 |
CU-58 |
Gazelle
HT2 |
705
NAS |
Control was lost at 300ft after a fenestron (tail rotor) stall during a wingover manoeuvre at Predannack, Cornwall.
The Fenestron, a shaft driven 13 blade fan, replaces the conventional tail rotor.
The aircraft spun several times and struck the ground at an estimated 16G. The trainee pilot broke his hand and the Australian Instructor hurt his back lifting the wreckage off the trainee |
24/05/1978 |
XF991 |
VL-874 |
Hunter
T8C |
FRADU |
Crashed
at Martock, Somerset after the engine exploded on take off from Yeovilton.
The pilot ejected safely |
25/05/1978 |
XH176 |
|
Canberra
PR9 |
A&AEE |
Crashed
at Chilmark, Wilts after the pilot abandoned the aircraft after it entered
a spin following loss of control during an asymmetric trial. It was on a
flight to discover the reason for the loss of XH137 on 03/05/1977 which
also crashed out of control |
28/05/1978 |
XV273 |
|
Beaver
AL1 |
BATUS |
The
aircraft failed to climb during a down hill take off with a tail wind from
Pincher Creek, Alberta, Canada. It bounced off the ground several times
before striking tress and coming to rest in a marsh. Two of the five on
board were injured |
06/1978 |
XN982 |
R-032 |
Buccaneer
S2A |
809
NAS |
The nosewheel was sliced off at Cecil Field NAS, Florida, USA by a tractor after the maintainer driving it had lost control. The tractor was wedged underneath the Buccaneer and the driver sustained serious injuries and died in hospital.
To the UK for rebuild but not completed and allocated to ground instruction at Brough |
01/06/1978 |
XN598 |
31 |
Jet
Provost T3A |
1
FTS |
The
wing struck the water on Gouthwaite Reservoir, Patley Bridge, Yorkshire
during a turn. The aircraft cartwheeled and broke up killing the pilot |
06/06/1978 |
XX761 |
11 |
Jaguar
GR1 |
226
OCU |
Destroyed
in a ground fire during engine runs at Lossiemouth, Grampian. Nose to
8600M |
14/06/1978 |
XN975 |
|
Buccaneer
S2A |
RAE
Bedford |
Crashed
at Oelde, near to Bruggen, West Germany after entering a spin at low level
following avoiding action to miss a German autobahn surveillance
helicopter. The crew ejected safely |
19/06/1978 |
WJ753 |
L |
Canberra
B2 |
100
Sqn |
During an overshoot at Marham, Norfolk the pilot allowed the engine rpm to drop below the recommended rpm levels. The engines spooled up unevenly during the subsequent throttle up causing a severe asymmetric condition resulting in near vertical bank with the port wingtip striking the ground to the left of the runway. During the ensuing cartwheel, the cockpit section was removed from the fuselage, breaking between the pilot and navigator's seats.
The pilot suffered serious leg injuries when his ejection seat fired sideways when on the ground. The occupant of the Rhumbold (fold down seat next to the pilot) was badly injured. Miraculously, of the two rear crew one broke an ankle and the other walked away unscathed |
29/06/1978 |
XW414 |
67 |
Jet
Provost T5A |
CFS/3
FTS |
The
pilot ejected after the engine failed on final approach to Dishforth,
Yorkshire |
05/07/1978 |
XT285 |
|
Buccaneer
S2 |
BAe
Warton |
The
pilot executed too tight a turn during a dummy attack on Luce Bay range
off West Freugh, Dumfries. The aircraft stalled, pitched up, dropped a
wing and crashed. The pilot remained with the aircraft and was killed. The
navigator ejected but was also killed |
18/07/1978 |
XP105 |
DV-403 |
Wessex
HAS3 |
737
NAS |
Ditched
into the English Channel off the Isle of Wight after the rotor blades
struck a lifeboat davit (hoist) on the side of HMS Devonshire during the
ships farewell voyage. Allocated to A2698 at Lee On Solent |
24/07/1978 |
XV483 |
Y |
Phantom
FGR2 |
92
Sqn |
Flew
into the ground near Drenke, east of Paderborn, West Germany during a
practice intercept. Both crew were killed |
25/07/1978 |
XX823 |
BG |
Jaguar
GR1 |
17
Sqn |
Crashed
onto a beach at Cagliari, Sardinia during unauthorised low level
aerobatics while operating from Decimomannu. The pilot was killed |
04/08/1978 |
XV403 |
M |
Phantom
FGR2 |
111
Sqn |
Flew
into the North Sea 58 miles off Aberdeen, Grampian during a practice
intercept. Both crew were killed |
11/08/1978 |
XL390 |
|
Vulcan
B2 |
617
Sqn |
During
a display rehearsal at Glenview NAS, Chicago, Illinois, USA it stalled
during a wing over. It crashed onto a rubbish tip killing all four crew |
13/09/1978 |
XP110 |
PO-655 |
Wessex
HAS3 |
737
NAS |
Ditched
into the English Channel fifteen miles off Portland, Dorset after engine
failure. It was recovered and eventually stored at Wroughton before being
delivered to Fleetlands and then Gosport for ground instruction |
14/09/1978 |
XL494 |
LM |
Gannet
AEW3 |
849
NAS |
Damaged a wing and flaps during a landing on HMS Ark Royal. Off loaded at Gibraltar and allocated to fire dump there |
18/09/1978 |
XA287 |
|
Cadet
TX3 |
662
GS |
Written
off in a flying accident at Dyce, Aberdeen. The wreck was sold to the
RAFGSA and allocated to the Wrekin Flying Club at Cosford and is hanging
from the crew room roof |
20/09/1978 |
XP143 |
PO-650 |
Wessex
HAS3 |
737
NAS |
Ditched into the sea 25 miles north of Valley, Anglesey, Gwynedd after an engine surge. One of the flotation bags did not deploy causing the helicopter to roll inverted. The four crew were rescued. To ground
instruction at Lee-on-Solent |
21/09/1978 |
XX530 |
12 |
Bulldog
T1 |
RNEFTS |
Flew
into high ground at Cochayne Ridge, Cleveland Hills, North Yorkshire after
engine failure. Both crew were killed |
11/10/1978 |
XW869 |
A |
Gazelle
AH1 |
ARWF |
The
main rotors struck the ground during a low level manoeuvre at Stockbridge,
Hants. Control was lost and the aircraft came to rest on its starboard
side and was destroyed by fire. The pilot received major injuries |
23/10/1978 |
WT875 |
|
Cadet
TX3 |
615
GS |
All
were damaged beyond repair in a hangar fire at Kenley, Greater London |
23/10/1978 |
XA288 |
|
Cadet
TX3 |
615
GS |
23/10/1978 |
XA300 |
|
Cadet
TX3 |
615
GS |
23/10/1978 |
XN242 |
|
Cadet
TX3 |
615
GS |
23/10/1978 |
WB929 |
|
Sedbergh
TX1 |
615
GS |
23/10/1978 |
WB940 |
|
Sedbergh
TX1 |
615
GS |
26/10/1978 |
WP309 |
CU-570 |
Sea
Prince T1 |
750
NAS |
The
undercarriage collapsed while taxying at Yeovilton, Somerset. To the dump
at Yeovilton |
01/11/1978 |
XX759 |
19 |
Jaguar
GR1 |
226
OCU |
While being chased by another Jaguar it entered cloud in a
gentle climb but emerged in a near vertical dive. It did not recover and crashed at Selkirk, Borders killing the Ecuadorian pilot. See also 3rd July 1979 |
16/11/1978 |
XJ695 |
J |
Hunter
FGA9 |
1
TWU |
Made
an emergency landing at Brize Norton, Oxfordshire following a multiple
bird strike. Not repaired and allocated to 8738M at Manston |
23/11/1978 |
XT598 |
E |
Phantom
FG1 |
111
Sqn |
Flew
into St. Andrews Bay some ten miles from Bell Rock while on approach to
Leuchars, Fife. Both crew were killed |
02/12/1978 |
XW614 |
|
Scout
AH1 |
659
Sqn |
Flew
into Lough Ross, Northern Ireland after the pilot became disorientated
during a night time sortie whilst wearing night vision goggles. Both crew
were killed |
07/12/1978 |
WT530 |
|
Canberra
PR7 |
13
Sqn |
Lost
power on take off from Luqa, Malta due to fuel contamination and crashed.
The crew ejected |
15/12/1978 |
XV801 |
Y |
Harrier
GR3 |
3
Sqn |
Crashed
at Ennigerloh, West Germany after the pilot ejected following loss of
control |