Engine fault named among causes of fatal Royal Navy helicopter crash
An inquiry has found that a technical engine fault was one of the factors behind a Royal Navy helicopter crash in the English Channel in September 2024, which killed a pilot. The aircraft ditched into the sea after the crew mistakenly shut down two functioning engines.
An investigation into a fatal Royal Navy helicopter crash has found that a technical fault in one of the aircraft's engines was a key factor in the accident, which killed a crew member on 4 September 2024.
The incident occurred during a night-flying training exercise involving a Merlin Mk4 helicopter carrying three crew members, based at Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton in Somerset. At around 20:50 GMT, the aircraft made an emergency landing on water roughly 25 nautical miles south of Lyme Regis, Dorset.
The inquiry found that the pilot in the right-hand seat, Lt Rhodri Leyshon, suffered severe injuries during the impact and was unable to escape the aircraft as it sank.
How the crash unfolded
According to the report, the accident was triggered by a split diaphragm inside one engine, which allowed fuel to flow directly into it and caused it to run far faster than normal. The crew mistakenly believed that two other engines — numbers one and three — had failed, and manually shut them down.
This action caused the remaining engine to reach its overspeed trip threshold and shut down automatically as well. With all three engines losing power, the helicopter descended and crashed into the sea.
